Following the endorsement by the presidents of the European Union parliaments at their meeting in Spain last month, of the idea of establishing a rapid response force, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, announced that the Union has indeed decided to launch these deployment forces next year, with a strength of 5,000 fighters.
Not a standing army at all
Speaking at the “Schuman Forum for Security” in Brussels today, Wednesday, he emphasized that this is a joint force, but it does not mean the nucleus of a European army.
He also stressed that the term “European army” is not accurate at all. He confirmed that it is possible to talk about the details and joint steps between European countries to acquire joint military capabilities.
This comes after the presidents of the parliaments announced last month that the European Union’s initiative regarding its military forces, which aims to ensure the protection of the Union’s citizens, interests, and democratic values, is of particular importance.
At that time, they emphasized the need for about 5,000 soldiers for rapid deployment in the event of any crisis.
The presidents of the parliaments also pointed out in the document that the European Union has already developed many tasks and operations aimed at stabilizing the situation in neighboring countries and regions.
By 2025
It is worth noting that the idea of establishing a “unified European army” has been on the table for at least the past ten years, but it has not been implemented.
However, the issue of security became more important during the period when Donald Trump was the President of the United States, where he clarified that his country was no longer prepared to provide “defensive cover” for Europe within NATO.
In November 2023, Borrell announced that the Union will raise the rapid response force, consisting of 5,000 military personnel, to full operational readiness by 2025.
