Strengthening the EU’s sovereignty: Rearm Europe
Every EU member state, including Malta, must be willing to contribute to European security and defence
All amid shifting geopolitical dynamics and continued global tensions, the EU unveiled a proposal for member states to invest an additional €800 billion in defence over the next four years. This marks a notable pivot to strengthen European security and defence capabilities to reinforce the EU’s overall defence readiness, reduce its strategic dependencies and address its critical capability gaps, while strengthening the European defence technological and industrial base.
To put this need into context, the EU’s annual gross domestic product stands at approximately €17 trillion per year while the proposed increase in defence investment is that of around €200 billion annually. By comparison, the United States allocates over $800 billion each year to its defence budget. Despite this ambitious EU proposal, the drive for increased defence spending in the EU is voluntary, as defence remains a national responsibility for all member states. However, there are also calls for the European Commission to propose additional funding sources for defence at EU level.
This push for Europe to invest more in defence is driven by several key strategic needs and geopolitical concerns. Primarily, it’s a response to the growing necessity for greater European self-sufficiency in defence following the election of President Donald Trump and the subsequent shifts in US political priorities. Europe is also concerned about its security in the face of Russia’s escalating actions in Ukraine as well as the potential for future aggression on the EU’s eastern border in view of the threats posed by Russia and Belarus.
Beyond these geopolitical concerns, EU member states face significant gaps in defence capabilities and strategic enablers, including in relation to space and critical infrastructure protection, cyber, artificial intelligence, electronic warfare and military mobility. The last is the ability to transport troops and equipment swiftly across the continent in times of crisis. The proposed increase in defence spending would allow European states to develop and procure the necessary transport and logistics infrastructure to move forces quickly when needed. The EU must also enhance its defence capabilities to address modern threats.
The development of continent-wide systems for anti-ballistic missile defence and drone interception is crucial to safeguarding Europe’s airspace as well as its civilian populations and critical infrastructure such as power stations, harbours and airports.
Furthermore, given Europe’s increasing reliance on digital infrastructure, robust cybersecurity measures are essential. Increased investment in defence will bolster Europe’s capacity to defend its cyber communication networks from increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks.
The concept of ‘Defend Europe’ would have possibly aligned better with contemporary security challenges- David Attard
While these defence needs are clear, the messaging used to promote this initiative through the concept of ‘Rearm Europe’ was arguably not so well chosen. For decades, national governments in Europe reduced their respective defence capabilities while concurrently increasing their reliance on US hard military power for their protection.
The idea of ‘rearming’ Europe is also paradoxical. It suggests a return to an era of military build-up when, in reality, Europe has been steadily disinvesting in defence since the end of the cold War. This term also exposes the contradiction between Europe’s historical reluctance in the past decades to fund its own defence needs and the current necessity for stronger military capabilities.
The use of the word “rearm” inadvertently enables the spread of misinformation. It also fuels opposition by evoking outdated notions of military build-ups when European strategic defence reserves have been exhausted to support Ukraine coupled with the need to defence Europe in an age dominated by hybrid warfare, cyber threats, terrorism, disinformation, misinformation and malinformation.
A more forward-looking messaging approach could have framed this defence investment as a necessary modernisation of Europe’s security and defence capabilities.
Rather than emphasising a return to last century’s cold war military escalation, the concept of ‘Defend Europe’ would have possibly aligned better with contemporary security challenges, highlighting Europe’s right to self-defence while ensuring its ability to independently safeguard its own security.
Ultimately, we all wish to live in peace and no one desires war. However, we remain united in our commitment to protect our values and way of life. Too many young men and women paid a heavy price to secure our freedom, European values, culture and identity during World War II.
If we are to pass this legacy on to future generations, every EU member state, including Malta, must be willing to contribute to European security and defence in the ways they can and provided that they do not undermine the unique character of their individual security and defence policies, such as Malta’s policy of active neutrality.
European and Maltese sovereignty, security and defence are at stake.
David AttardColonel David Attard is a former deputy commander of the Armed Forces of Malta and is a graduate of the Joint Services, Advanced Command & Staff College, UK.