European Defense

France has announced it's intentions to push for a Europe based defense when it takes the EU presidency in the second half of 2008. The defense would include a Brussels-based EU planning staff, exchanges between professional soldiers and a harmonization of military educations. However, these proposals will likely raise concerns from fellow member states.

As reported in an EU Observer.com article, French defence minister Hervé Morin said that Paris will put defence high on the agenda when it takes over the rotating presidency. Morin when on to say that defense was an absolute priority which is at least as important for European integration as the EU's common currency.

"With the common currency, we have created a strong symbol for Europe. But nothing can better express the European community of fate than common defence, a common sense of Europe's threats and security interests," he said.

Morin said that Paris is still coordinating with its EU partners about the logistics of the proposal but "independent crisis capacities" for Europe would be one key goal.

However France is not going to push this agenda with ease. It is likely to face skepticism from the United Kingdom which dislikes the idea of an EU defence headquarters and would like European defence forces to focus on peacekeeping and humanitarian tasks. The UK traditionally sees combat operations as part of NATO.

Nicolas Sarkozy however is strongly pushing for a military role for the EU which is independent from that of the Atlantic alliance. Mr Sarkozy has said he would like France to re-join the military command structures of NATO, but on the condition that EU defence is also strengthened.

-Kurt Hickman