EU Defense, Michel: there’s a need to align means and ambitions | EUROtoday

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The subsequent few weeks won’t solely be devoted to analyzing the election outcomes or appointing new European leaders. The Twenty-Seven may also be known as to approve a brand new strategic agenda, in impact the political program of the subsequent legislature. In a dialog with some newspapers, together with Il Sole 24 Ore, the President of the European Council Charles Michel yesterday illustrated the three pillars: democratic ideas, competitiveness of the economic system, safety and defence.

Regarding this final sector, the previous Belgian prime minister famous a renewed “common political will” on the a part of the heads of state and authorities to handle the problem collectively. «Even nations that have been reluctant and hesitant prior to now are completely of the opinion as we speak that we want higher investments, much less fragmentation, extra European capabilities». He then added: “There is the political will to align our means with our ambitions.”

Financing and customary debt

On the controversial challenge of protection financing, the 48-year-old President of the European Council famous governments' willingness to take a look at the subject “with open eyes”. Among different issues, the politician famous how Denmark, a rustic historically reluctant to observe the trail of joint indebtedness, has confirmed to be extra open. He added that the brand new strategic agenda should name into query “the various taboos”.

An define of the doc which shall be permitted on 27-28 June talks a few “new fund dedicated to defence” with which to finance “flagship projects at European level, including an air defense shield or new measures to strengthen cyber security ». In this regard, the former Belgian prime minister said he was convinced that the European Union is facing “a paradigmatic change”. He underlined “the political and mental progress made by the Twenty-Seven on this subject”.

The opinion of our interlocutor isn’t trivial. Despite the nationalistic impulses in lots of nations and the variations of opinions on some points, the Union more and more seems within the eyes of residents as a secure haven, an island of stability, a bulwark in opposition to uncertainty. A survey by the Fondation pour l'innovation politique in Paris reveals that 57% of Europeans have extra belief within the Commission and Parliament than in their very own authorities (44%) or their very own parliament (51%).