When US president Joe Biden rebuffed European Union calls to keep US troops in Afghanistan after the 31 August deadline, it reignited the debate on whether the EU needs its own standing army. The EU had called for a conditions-based withdrawal. Leaving suddenly caught them off-guard, ended their own evacuations, and left thousands of citizens behind.
The debate is an old one. In 1999, EU members pledged to build a 60,000-troop army, but it never materialized. Then the EU formed 1,500-troop battlegroups, but they never deployed. Still, prominent politicians argue for an EU defense force. French president, Emmanuel Macron, has called for a “true European Army” since he took office. EU foreign policy chief, Josep Borrel, has argued that a 5,000-troop EU rapid deployment force could have secured the Kabul airport and extended “the timing and nature of the withdrawal.” Some see the situation in the Africa Sahel, where the French are slowly pulling out and leaving territory under the control of Islamist groups, as an addition reason for a force.
So far, however, there hasn’t been enough money for a standing European Army. The EU has only earmarked $9 billion for the European Defense Fund through 2027. Equally stymying is the EU requirement to make foreign policy decisions unanimously, which has been called “completely dysfunctional.” Nevertheless, one can expect that, over time, the desire for a European army will grow. Regionalization is a long-term trend that promotes a separate European military. A standing army would give the EU strategic autonomy it does not now enjoy. It would also help shift power back toward Europe, something it lost after World War II.
How long it will take for a force to materialize is unknown. After the Afghan disappointment, Borrell stated, “The only way forward is to combine our forces and strengthen not only our capacity but also our will to act.” However, this was countered by Nathalie Tocci, director of Istituto Affari Internationali, a global affairs thinktank, who assessed, “We are just not prepared to see body bags coming home, and Afghanistan is not going to change that.” Only time will tell.
Source:
Reis Thebault, Quentin Aries, “US’s Afghanistan Exit Rekindles EU-debate Over Forming its own Military,” Washington Post, 5 Sep 2021, A17; see also, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/afghanistan-eu-army/2021/09/03/ee0f4eea-0c24-11ec-a7c8-61bb7b3bf628_story.html
Photo: New York Times
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