“We live in dangerous times, the security of Europe is seriously threatened, the question is now whether we will be able to react with the necessary rapidity”. Thus said the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der leyenpresenting the plan Rearm Europe“, Made to increase European spending in defense. A proposal that generated divisions within the 27 EU countries, with the heads of state that met today for the extraordinary European Council to discuss the rearmament plan from 800 billion of the European Union.
In addition to the Rearm plan, the proposal of the French president Emmanuel Macron also made the proposal regarding the extension of the French nuclear umbrella to the European allies, offering an alternative strategic guarantee to the American allies.
Von der Leyen: “We want peace through strength”
“Europe must be put in a position to defend and protect ourselves and we must also put Ukraine in the condition to defend itself and make pressure for a just and lasting peace, a peace through strength,” said the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, reaching the pre-vertex of the PPE.
For this reason, the leader of the Council has presented the Rearm Europe plan, a plan that provides for 800 billion euros for military equipment, gives more tax space to countries for military expenditure and gives the possibility of common purchases at European level and above all “a plan that will help Ukraine because states will be able to invest in the Ukrainian defense industry or they will be able to obtain military equipment and give them to Ukraine. Overall, it is a big step forward, as necessary in these extraordinary times “.
The plan proposes five main measures, such as activating the national safeguard clause of the stability pact to allow Member States to increase defense expenditure without incurring EU sanctions. In addition, it provides for a Fund from 150 billion euros For coordinated military investments between member countries, encouraging the purchase of compatible armaments and introduces the possibility of using cohesion funds for defense projects. Finally, it aims to involve the private financial sector by breaking down for investments in the military sector and the modification of the restrictions of the European bank for investments to support the defense.
“This is a watershed moment for Europe and Ukraine as part of our European family. It is also a watershed moment for Ukraine. Europe faces a clear and present danger, and therefore Europe must be able to protect itself, to defend itself, just as we have to put Ukraine in a position to protect and push for lasting and just peace “the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, declared a joint press with the Ukrainian president Volodymy Zelensky and the president of the European Council, Antonio Costa.
Macron’s proposal on sharing nuclear deterrence
In the period of greater tension in transatlantic relations from the end of the Cold War, French President Emmanuel Macron has advanced a proposal that could revolutionize European security architecture: to extend nuclear umbrella French to European allies, offering an alternative strategic guarantee to that of the United States. A proposal that was born in response to the growing fears of a possible disengagement of the United States by the European Defense, a hypothesis made more concrete by the freezing of American military aid to Ukraine.
For decades, European atomic deterrence was based on a fundamental strategic agreement: the nuclear protection provided by the United States, known as nuclear umbrella. Born during the Cold War, this collective defense pact implies a promise of intervention: if a country under protection undergoes an aggression, the allied nuclear power undertakes to treat the attack as if it were aimed at itself, threatening to use its strength, up to the nuclear option, as a deterrent against the attacker. A guarantee that has contributed to maintaining the Stability in Europe for over seventy years.
France, together with the United Kingdom, is the only country of the European Union to possess weapons nuclearwith a shock force composed of ballistic missiles launched by submarines and planes. While maintaining the operational control of its arsenal, Paris could redefine its “vital interests” also including the safety of other European countries, thus creating French nuclear protection without compromising sovereignty on their weapons.
Nuclear sharing, because the NATO agreement prohibits it
But the theme of nuclear deterrence is not so simple; First of all, because within the revision document of the posture of deterrence and defense of 2012 of the Born A mandatory principle is reiterated: the final political control over nuclear weapons must remain exclusively in the hands of the country that owns them. What does this mean? That France could extend its protection to the allies, but would maintain the exclusive decision -making authority on the possible use of the atomic Arsenal.
And even the heads of government of EU countries have not welcomed the news: “The French proposal on nuclear sharing? We are allies in NATO. There are very precise rules about it. And it is particularly important to consider nuclear sharing that is organized in Germany. I believe that this should not be renounced, and it is the opinion shared by all the main parties in Germany “said the German Chancellor, Olaf Scholz upon arrival at the European Council.
