Meeting of EU defense ministers: a reaction force just out of the will?

The Taliban’s triumph in Afghanistan is a debacle for the West. The EU defense ministers agree: Europe must become more capable of acting militarily. An old idea is given new impetus.

An idyllic park. A magnificent castle. An imposing mountain panorama. And then the sun is shining too. The Slovenian Brdo offers the ideal setting for collective trauma therapy. After the military failure in Afghanistan, the EU is still in shock.

The EU must become more independent militarily

At the meeting of European defense ministers, there is talk of a serious defeat, a debacle, and a deep turning point – which should not remain without consequences. “It has never been so obvious that we need a stronger European defense as it is now,” says EU chief diplomat Josep Borrell. And he’s not alone in that. The European Union must become more independent and more capable of acting in order not to have to rely on the USA for help again in the next big crisis. For example in air transport or military reconnaissance.

According to Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Europe’s credibility also depends on it. “What we have to talk about is the question: Could we make decisions quickly? Have we been trained enough? Do we have the right equipment, which the Americans in particular are currently supplying us with?” Said Kramp-Karrenbauer. “And it is very important that we do not do this as an alternative to NATO and the Americans, but rather to become stronger ourselves.” This is necessary, says the defense minister. Because: “We saw and learned that in Afghanistan.”

Is an EU reaction force coming?

Against the background of the bitter Afghanistan experience and in view of trouble spots such as Mali, Belarus or Libya, an old idea is given new impetus. A number of states are campaigning for a rapid reaction force, a kind of special command of at least 5,000 men, which should be ready to go in an emergency. However, especially in Eastern Europe, it is feared that this could weaken NATO.

European combat groups have existed for some time, but the so-called “battlegroups” have never been used. Partly because the EU has to unanimously decide on a military mission.

Military deployment of a “coalition of the willing”

The Latvian Defense Minister Artis Pabriks says that there is not a lack of soldiers and material, but rather the political will to deploy the troops. And especially in countries like Germany, people have to be told that the world has changed and that “people like the Taliban cannot be won over with words alone.”

In order to get around the problem of unanimity, consideration is now being given to leaving the deployment of the military to a so-called “coalition of the willing”. Everyone would still have to agree to the mission in question – but not everyone would participate.

Germany prepares concept

Germany is already working on a corresponding concept; others like France, Portugal or the Netherlands have indicated their support. The host, the Slovenian Defense Minister Matej Tonin, is also in favor and can even envisage resolutions with a simple majority. “Perhaps the solution would be to invent a mechanism in which the traditional majority is enough and the countries that want to participate can then get started quickly,” he says.

But for most of the other countries that goes a long way too far. The EU, on the other hand, is unanimous in its assessment that no more time must be lost – and that a decision must be made quickly on the new security policy strategy. A possible date is next spring, then under the French Presidency. Shortly before the presidential elections in France, head of state Emmanuel Macron is likely to be very interested in a diplomatic success.