Barroso's war games
Posted, September 30, 2011 @ 12:00
In his "State of the Union" address to the European Parliament today (28 September), Commission President Manuel Barroso focused mainly on the economic and financial crisis engulfing the Eurozone. But he also took the opportunity to call for further defence integration, "if we want to punch above our weight in the world". He also called for a "single defence market and a European defence industry".
Conservative Spokesman on Defence and Security, Geoffrey Van Orden MEP, commented:
"Whenever there is a crisis, the EU sees an opportunity to advance its integrationist agenda. Today's renewed call for greater defence integration is purely political. It is not motivated by any wish for more military muscle - it just wants the EU to strut the world stage.
"There is no evidence that the creation of the EU's duplicative and expensive defence structures have increased defence capabilities by one soldier or aircraft. On the contrary, defence budgets across Europe are being slashed and there is little political will among some key nations to support vital NATO operations.
"And talk of a single defence market is merely code language for excluding cooperation with the US and other major allies.
"In the real world, the EU should have nothing to do with defence. It should focus on restoring financial stability and promoting growth in our economies, and leave defence matters well alone."