Category Archives: General

The time is ripe for a Commissioner for Security and Defence – The EU’s security and defence effort cannot substitute the efforts of the nations

by Ioan Mircea Pașcu, Vice-President, European Parliament, Brussels /Strasbourg The deterioration of the security situation around Europe has accompanied the international financial and economic crisis of 2008. The EU has become inward looking, being gradually absorbed by internal problems (the sovereign debt, the euro etc.) The result has been the neglect of the conflicts around…

Europe needs to face the threats of the 21st century – We need a European army to assure our security in the future

by Manfred Weber MEP, Chairman of the EEP Group, European Parliament, Brussels/ Strasbourg “We must create a European army by 2030, not to replace national armed forces, but to unite them under a common European roof.” (Manfred Weber) Our freedom and democracy is facing the biggest threat since the end of the Cold War. On…

The way ahead: more Europe to uphold human rights – Strengthening the EU is the only way to fight populism and fascism

by Ana Gomes, MEP (S&D, Portugal), European Parliament, Brussels/Strasbourg After 15 years and three mandates fulfilled as a MEP in the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, I will leave the European Parliament completely convinced that, more than ever, we need more Europe and a stronger European Union (EU). Needless to say…

Effective development aid through coherent and concrete projects – There can be no security without development, nor development without security

Interview with Henriette Geiger, Director, DG DEVCO, EU Commission, Brussels “Our work is driven by the promotion and respect of EU values and principles, such as democracy, the rule of law, the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms.” The European: Ms Geiger, in the Directorate General (DG) for International Cooperation and Development…

Human rights and our common established values are non-negotiable Migration crisis: national egoism versus European values

Interview with Jean Asselborn, Minister of Foreign and European Affairs/Minister of Immigration and Asylum, Luxembourg The interview was conducted by Editor-in-Chief Hartmut Bühl. ”The instrumentalisation of the debate about migration is the most visible sign of a wider rift among EU Member States, which is mostly about the values the EU is based on.” The…

Working together with Africa towards a more stable and prosperous shared neighbourhood

There is a historic opportunity to strengthen our partnership “For too long, the relationship between Europe and Africa was one of dependency, charity or cooperation on an ad-hoc basis.” by Dimitris Avramopoulos, Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship, European Commission, Brussels Europe and Africa are at an important crossroads today, with a historic opportunity…

The Aquarius’ daily work to save people’s lives – SOS MEDITERRANEE’s mission is to restore humantity at sea and on land

Interview with Verena Papke, Director General, SOS MEDITERRANEE Germany, Berlin The interview was conducted by Nannette Cazaubon “We have to understand that people do not run towards something or a particular place, but that they flee from something.” – Verena Papke In the last 4 years at least 15,000 people have died crossing the Mediterranean…

Our future is Europe – A robust security architecture will only be possible within a European framework

by Wolfgang Hellmich MdB, Chairman of the Defence Committee, German Bundestag, Berlin Beyond differences and geographical boundaries there is a common interest – how Jean Monnet characterised Europe’s diversity. While this view has become largely accepted in economic terms, military cooperation and integration of EU Member States still have a long way to go. The…

PESCO is not solely an initiative focused on capability projects – The crucial role of the EDA in coordinating the race for capabilities

Interview with Martin Konertz, Director Capabilities, Armament & Technology, EDA, Brussels “PESCO will be successful if it can strike the right security and defence balance between the European and the various national perspectives.” The Bratislava European Summit, in September 2016, brought a new impetus and awareness that Europe must revitalise defence cooperation against the backdrop…

Galileo – a European achievement

A model for the development of future European strategic projects by Patrick Bellouard, President of EuroDéfense France, Paris “This project constitutes a great European achievement; it could be used as a model for the development of future European strategic projects in the domain of security and defence, such as telecommunications or surveillance systems.” Patrick Bellouard…