Vācijai nepatīk militārā kolchoza ideja.

No 1. līdz 3.februārim Vācijā norisinās  49.Minhenes drošības konference, kurā tiekas valstu vadītāji, aizsardzības un ārlietu ministri, kā arī viedokļu līderi un speciālisti, lai runātu par iespējām konfliktu risināšanā, par sadarbību un starptautiskā dialoga veicināšanu, kā arī par esošajiem un gaidāmajiem drošības izaicinājumiem. Konferences  galvenie sarunu temati ir Eiropas Savienības un Eiroatlantiskās sabiedrības drošības izaicinājumi, kiberdrošība un enerģētiskā drošība, kā arī resursu apvienošanas iniciatīva.

1.februārī sensāciju izraisīja Vācijas aizsardzības ministra Tomasa de Maziere uzstāšanās, kurā viņš skaidri novilka robežu līdz kurai Vācija gatava iet Eiropas Savienības dalībvalstu Bruņoto spēku resursu kooperācijā.

Ministrs teica:

„(..) Let us imagine, for example, that aerial reconnaissance, strategic airlift, air-to-air refuelling, crucial elements of logistics or training in Europe would only be conducted multinationally, either by all or a certain number of European states. The respective parties involved would then be dependant on each other in these areas. We are already moving towards such a situation. This would mean having achieved a lot, as we have been gathering from the discussions in recent days and weeks. And it would take years, for technical, financial, political and legal reasons. We do not need the vision of a joint European army on top of that, a vision which puts many people off anyway. (..)”

Šo viedokli intervijās komentēja arī citi Vācijas delegācijas  dalībnieki …

Mr. Roderich Kiesewetter (Christian Democratic Union), German Bundestag Member

(..)

Q:Europe has an army with a little under two million soldiers, spread over more than two dozen national armies. German Defense Minister Thomas de Maizière has made it clear now that there will be no EU army with German participation. Do you have an explanation for this?

A:Well, Mr. de Maizière is very matter-of-fact and very pragmatic. I suppose that he simply asked himself what was feasible and what was not. Most countries simply don’t have the will to build an army together. Still, we have to use our troops more effectively in a European Union with ever tighter budgets. To achieve this effectiveness, we have to identify areas where we cooperate already, and Germany should volunteer a shoulder to lean on. We also have to find areas where cooperation is possible, for instance, in air defense, coastal defense, and training.

Q: Do you also exclude a common European army as a long-term goal?

A: We need a long-term goal we can work for. The European idea of peace, prosperity, and human rights needs to be backed up with a credible defense, and this credible defense could lead to individual states providing individual packages that, put together, could make up a common European capability package. It is, of course, conceivable that those almost two million soldiers serving in the national armies today might end up being one million split into four entities. I could see that, yes. (..)

Frank-Walter Steinmeier (SPD), Chairman of the Opposition in the German Bundestag

(..)

Q: Quite a clear statement which was more tailored to European policy was made by the German Federal Minister of Defense Thomas de Maizière yesterday evening who, from his view, buried the vision of joint European military forces .

A: All of us were very surprised by that. Because this attitude has so far neither been the policy of the German Ministry of Defense and nor part of the German foreign and security policy. I am unable to judge by what this sharp condemnation of contrary statements made by German politicians has been induced. Nobody expects the European military forces to become a topical issue in the next year or the year after. Yet to maintain the perspective that one should share defense burdens considering the shrinking budgets is the right way in my view.

Q:What do you think of de Maizière’s statement?

A: A European Army is still a long way off. But if I did away with the perspective of growing together, I am not sure whether or not cooperation would occur where I wish to.

(..)