Feature photo: Flag of the Council of Europe and the EU | © Pixabay
European security is only possible with German contribution
We citizens should remind the federal government that it has committed to earmarking two percent of Germany's gross domestic product for defense spending. Germany must train its armed forces as part of its duties as a NATO member and its responsibility for Europe (Article 42.7 EUV)*.
The Russian attack on Ukraine and the European peace order marked the turning point proclaimed by the Federal Chancellor. However, the federal government's budget planning does not indicate that the Bundeswehr is receiving sufficient support. The attack on Israel by Hamas and Hezbollah is exacerbating the geopolitical situation.
Germany would currently not be in a military position to support Israel, whose security, like European unification, is Germany's reason of state.
From a federalist perspective: A militarily capable Germany would be the most politically promising path to European armed forces and thus to the creation of a political union or a European federal state.
Other EU member states will be ambivalent about empowering the Bundeswehr and will therefore be more willing to pool and share sovereignty in foreign and security policy.
Unfortunately, the most likely path to a European federal state leads through a deep crisis of external security, just as European integration has always been driven or slowed down by security policy considerations.
*“In the event of an armed attack on the territory of a Member State, the other Member States owe it all assistance and assistance in their power, in accordance with Article 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. This does not affect the special nature of the security and defense policies of certain Member States.
The commitments and cooperation in this area remain consistent with the commitments undertaken within the framework of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which continues to be the basis of the collective defense of its member states and the instrument for its achievement.”
