To Die for the European Peace Project
The first EU-Soldier died in early 2009 in Chad. The French soldier fell in an incursion thousands of kilometres away from Brussels, Berlin and his French homeland. He is a tragic symbol of a Europe that is willing to sacrifice its citizens in a fight for its role in a dynamic world order, in the war for resources and geopolitical interests. “I have the courage to say what the order of the day is, namely that Europe has to establish itself as a world power with a claim to be respected,” said the German EU Enlargement Commissioner Günther Verheugen.
The 27 EU Member States annually spend 200 billion Euros on this, which is half of the US-military budget and 2.5 times higher than what China spends on its huge troops. All this for the sake of the celebrated “Peace Project Europe”. The Lisbon treaty promotes a further military armament of the EU. Article 42 (3) makes the Members States arm in an unprecedented manner: The Member States “undertake progressively to improve their military capabilities”. In order for the Member States to meet their obligation, a Defence Agency was founded.
This concept had to be immediately realized. If the Constitutional Treaty stated “a Defence Agency shall be established”, there was no single word about it in the Lisbon Treaty. Although the ratification process was not over yet, the Council of Ministers set up the Defence Agency through the resolution from July 12 2004, secretly and quietly. Meanwhile there was no wide public debate about the necessity of a strong European Security Policy. The political decision makers act in a non-transparent and a more authoritarian manner. According the Carl Schmid’s School only the State is sovereign. In the political Europe of the present there is no room for liberal, democratic modus operandi and civic participation any more.
Within the framework of the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) 25 missions were decided upon since 2003, one after another, at a breathtaking speed. The budget for the ongoing 13 missions is approximately 543.5 Million Euros. The network spans from Guiné-Bissau in Western Africa across Georgia and Irak to Indonesia. Up to 7000 soldiers can be deployed in individual cases. Despite the growing importance of the ESDP only 0,8 percent of the items on the agenda were discussed publicly in the General Affairs and External Relations Council in 2008. A progress in this field would be an easy task.
The Austrian Government cooperates, whether when it comes to the participation EU-Battle-Groups or the commitment to a deeper cooperation between the EU and the NATO or the involvement in the EU military missions. The concept of neutrality is being degraded to pretence. “In the world of the 21. century nobody is going to ask what the Austrian or the Czech position is. What matters is the power of Europe”, said the former German foreign minister and supposedly “green” politician Joschka Fischer. This means it won’t take long before the first Austrian Soldier also dies for the European Union.
