Emmanuel Macron’s EU army plans dealt huge blow
EMMANUEL MACRON’s attempts to build an ever closer European Union with a common EU army could fail due to concerns France has sparked among smaller countries, security expert Alexandre Vautravers has said.
Emmanuel Macron has been one of the most outspoken proponents of a European Union-wide army to help the bloc stop relying on military support from the United States. But security expert Alexandre Vautravers has warned the French president his eagerness could actually backfire as smaller EU countries are growing “concerned” about the implications of such a project. Speaking to France 24, Mr Vautravers said: “European countries, perhaps some of the smaller countries, are concerned with the fact that France – which has been an extremely interventionist country throughout the world – would be placed essentially at the helm of such a foreign policy of defence and security.
“There are many neutral countries within the European Union – how would this affect their constitution? Another problematic is nuclear weapons.”
At least five countries in the EU – namely Austria, Malta, Ireland, Finland and Sweden – have repeatedly claimed they remain “militarily non-aligned” despite Brussels increasing efforts to establish a common military response force.