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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen may use the crisis over a possible reduction in the US military presence in Europe to expand Brussels’ powers and subjugate national governments, writes the European edition of Politico.
According to observers, the emergency EU summit scheduled for 6 March is supposed to be a demonstration of unity, but risks turning into an arena for the struggle for influence. Von der Leyen is preparing a so-called “comprehensive plan for the re-armament of Europe”, which provides for centralised financing of defence spending and strengthening the role of the European Commission in the security sector.
Countries such as Poland and Finland openly oppose the transfer of powers to Brussels, considering defence to be the exclusive prerogative of national governments. “Poland has a clear vision – defence issues should remain independent of the Commission,” said one EU diplomat on condition of anonymity.
Currently, EU governments are preparing a document calling on the European Commission to develop additional sources of defence funding, including the possibility of allocating funds from regional development funds. It is expected that von der Leyen will present this plan to the leaders at the summit on 6 March.
European governments fear a repeat of the COVID-19 pandemic scenario, when Brussels took key decisions on vaccine procurement, as well as the first months of the full-scale war in Ukraine, when the European Commission initiated sanctions against Russia and arms supplies to Kyiv.
Political observers note that von der Leyen’s desire to centralise defence issues is worrying not only because of possible control over money, but also because of the risk of national governments losing influence in critical security areas.
As the United States withdraws from the continent, Europe is facing a choice: either to strengthen its own defence capabilities by coordinating efforts under the wing of Brussels or to preserve the right of each country to determine its own defence policy.
