German chancellor will ask UK to stand aside as she promotes ambitious plan to integrate continental Europe’s armed forces, The Telegraph has been told
Angela Merkel will expect David Cameron to drop his opposition to an EU army in exchange for supporting Britain’s renegotiation, the Telegraph has been told.
The German chancellor will ask Britain to stand aside as she promotes an ambitious blueprint to integrate continental Europe’s armed forces.
It comes as Jean-Claude Juncker, president of the European Commission, said Britain will get a deal if it gives the green light to a raft of powerful new EU institutions.
A Berlin source said agreeing not to “block” Mrs Merkel’s defence plans is a “favour” that she would seek from Mr Cameron as he looks for her support in the renegotiation.
“If you want favours, you have to give favours,” the source said.
“If Cameron wants a ‘flexible Europe’, he must let other members integrate further. Yes – opt out, opt out, opt out – and then shut up.”
While there is no expectation or obligation for Britain to take part in steeper integration, the creation of an EU army could marginalise Britain within Nato and result in the United States downgrading the special relationship with Britain in favour of Paris and Berlin, experts warn.
While Mr Cameron backs tighter Eurozone integration, he faces a dilemma over whether the risk of a diminished strategic position is a price worth paying in his renegotiation.
The Telegraph has seen an unpublished position paper drawn up by Europe and Defence policy committees of Mrs Merkel’s party, the CDU, that sets out a detailed 10-point plan for military co-operation in Europe.
It is understood to closely reflect her thinking, and calls for a permanent EU military HQ, combined weapons procurement and a shared military doctrine.
The paper says it is “urgent” to integrate armed forces “in the face of multifaceted crises”.
It calls for “a permanent structured and coordinated cooperation of national armed forces in the medium term.
Mrs Merkel is backing a push by Mr Juncker to create an EU army.
One Comment
Tom Welsh
Very neat. (Although I have no doubt Cameron understands the catch perfectly). Britain can negotiate some trivial benefits, in return for agreeing to integrated EU armed forces. But integrated EU armed forces are precisely the critical step that would prevent the UK from leaving the EU! Today, if the British government were to say, “The UK is leaving the EU”, Brussels could do nothing to prevent that. But once there is an EU army, navy and air force, they can be deployed to stop any nation leaving.
If anyone disagrees, please refer to the history of the American Civil War.