Defence is emerging as a key issue for the European elections in June 2024. However, it is sometimes difficult to understand the positions of the European political groups.
Sierra Tango has analysed their manifestos and will bring you the main points each week.
The European People’s Party (EPP) is undoubtedly the political group that has put the most emphasis on defence in its election manifesto. The issue appears in the very first chapter of its manifesto, after reaffirming its support for Ukraine. The document proposes three priorities for defence.
First, the party calls for the strengthening of the defence industrial base through increased investment, including the use of European funds from the multiannual budget (MFF/CFP).This includes ‘focusing on Defence Technology 2.0’, creating a single defence market and making better use of the European Defence Agency (EDA) to standardise systems, promoting joint equipment procurement projects and research into artificial intelligence (AI) for dual (civilian and military) purposes. Member states are invited to give priority to the purchase of European equipment. With regard to exports, the EPP wants to introduce common standards.
Secondly, the centre-right proposes to change the current structures and create the post of Commissioner for Security and Defence to better coordinate this issue with the member states. It also proposes the creation of a Defence Council made up of the defence ministers of the member states and other European countries (including at least Iceland, Norway and the United Kingdom).
Finally, the EPP aims to ‘develop a genuine European Defence Union with integrated European land, maritime, cyber and air forces’.
To achieve this, it emphasises the need for a Rapid Deployment Capability (RDC) and the creation of a European External Military Intervention Fund ‘to enable Member States that do not wish to mobilise their forces for an EU external military operation to make a financial contribution to Europe’s collective defence’
Within the EU, the focus is on areas such as cyber defence and space security. The EU, together with those member states that wish to do so, must tackle future European defence projects in close cooperation with our transatlantic partners, including a missile defence shield, a European DARPA (the equivalent of the US agency that directs national security R&D investments), a European cyber brigade, a European nuclear shield and increased production capacity for defence goods.
As with other groups, the idea of increased cooperation between intelligence services is put forward.
