Europeans disarmed after the Afghan shock

Since the hasty withdrawal of the United States and its allies from Afghanistan, Emmanuel Macron has remained discreet on the subject, perhaps not to add, on the European side, the division to the debacle. The Head of State and his entourage are nevertheless convinced of this: the Afghan setback of the Westerners confirms the analysis made long ago in Paris on the necessary autonomy of the European continent, and the need for a collective defense effort.

Can the shock wave of the Afghan crisis provoke a start in a field where integration remains embryonic, and Europeans very dependent on the United States? “We must not believe that it will fall like a ripe fruit, it is a gradual realization that greater autonomy is necessary, observes Clément Beaune, French Secretary of State for European Affairs. On the one hand, the Europeans are shaken by the method and want to be able to act without being the broomstick of the United States. On the other hand, many countries do not want to give the impression that we are letting the Americans down at this difficult time. “

Meeting on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 September, in Slovenia, for a long-planned informal council, the defense and foreign ministers tried to draw initial lessons from the events in Afghanistan. And to revive, in any case, an idea: that of the creation of a rapid intervention military force (also known as “first entry”), capable, with 5,000 men, of intervening quickly during a crisis. major conflict. In Helsinki, in 1999, there was talk of a force of 60,000 men; in 2007, European “battle groups” (or “Battle groups”), that is to say units of 1,500 men permanently available. They have never been deployed.

Article reserved for our subscribers Read also “Defense Europe is a long story, which is moving forward”

Suffice to say that the idea, put forward in the aftermath of the Kabul tragedy, is far from being consensual: Paris supports the principle, but Berlin would prefer a “Coalition of willing countries”, capable of acting in an emergency, rather than creating an integrated structure. However, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, this week advocated strengthening the capacity for action of the Twenty-Seven. And the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell, deplored the inability of Europeans to commit troops to secure an airport. “Biden is the third president to warn us”, insisted Mr. Borrell, hoping to relaunch an essential reflection on the “Sovereignty”, Where “European strategic autonomy”. With what result, given the desire of many Member States not to take any initiative that would appear to be a possible competition between the European Union (EU) and NATO?

You have 63.88% of this article to read. The rest is for subscribers only.