The European Council held on 20 us addressed many issues concerning European security starting with the European Defense Fund and approved the strategic review of the PESCO structured cooperation which will then be able to begin the second phase from 2021 to 2025.
(by Pasquale Preziosa) The European Union and the individual member countries are in great political, economic and social suffering due to the ongoing health disaster, the consequences of which will lead to a different geopolitical balance between the great powers.
Chief of Staff of the Air Force 2013-16
For some time, the Union had been looking for its own strengthened identity and strategic autonomy.
The concept of "Strategic Autonomy" was born in Europe long before the pandemic, following the 2008 financial crisis.
Unfortunately, the recent pandemic crisis has presented new challenges but above all, it has accelerated both the positive and negative trends present in individual countries, with a particularity compared to previous scenarios: the world health crisis has not seen the United States operate as a leading country for organize the international response to the current crisis, the Union and the individual member countries had to find their way to face the health and economic challenge.
The consequence was that the European Council held on 20 us it addressed many topics concerning European security starting with the European Defense Fund and approved the strategic review of the PESCO Structured Cooperation which will then be able to start the second phase from 2021 to 2025.
La revision will require greater efforts by the countries of the Union and in this regard, a "Strategic Compass"(Strategic Compass) which will deal with four important areas such as: crisis management, resilience, the capacity development of the armed forces to achieve what was established in the Global Strategy approved in 2016 and partnerships.
The main objective, however, is to develop, in accordance with the Global Union Strategy, is a "shared strategic culture " is a common understanding of the potential threats facing Europe.
The most relevant positions on the subject, in the field of Defense and Security, refer to the Germany and France.
For the France it is urgent to proceed towards the Strategic Autonomy of Europe.
For the Germany, the foreign minister argued that investing in one's security means having a more balanced transatlantic relationship, in addition, in a document published by the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, dedicated to the possible European future, the "28th army" is mentioned.
Also of importance are two initiatives of the European Parliament that is, a recommendation for the strengthening of cooperation between member countries in order to be able to elaborate a White Paper on Security and Defense of the Union and the "Conference on the future of Europe”Where all countries will have to indicate what future for the Union.
The Conference on the Future of Europe will be an opportunity to identify the political wills of individuals in order to better respond to the new challenges for Europe's security.
10 years after the entry into force of the European Treaty and 70 years after the Schuman Declaration The time has come to rethink the European Union with institutional and political reforms in many sectors and with the involvement of citizens as well.
The timing of the work decided by the European Council on November 20 coincides with the end of the work of the "Conference on the future of Europe" approved by the European Parliament last January 2020.
The two events now coinciding in temporal developments could be preparatory for a "reconciliation of European rhetoric with reality " and the new challenges we face.