EU security policy: urgent call for more independence!

EU security policy: urgent call for more independence!

On June 17, 2025, the event "A new era for European security and defense" took place in the EU House in Vienna. This conference organized by the European Movement Austria (EBÖ) and the representation of the European Commission in Austria had the goal of realigning the EU security and defense policy of the EU in view of the geopolitical changes, in particular the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Elisabeth Dittrich, General Secretary of the EBÖ, and Patrick Lobis, EU Commission representative, opened the event with introductory words.

In his keynote, Andrzej Grzyb, chairman of the Defense Committee in the Polish Parliament, spoke about the urgent challenges that Europe faces. Patrick Lobis emphasized the need for a united Europe in uncertain times and presented the "Readiness 2030" plan. This provides for higher defense spending and joint investments in defense capacities. Sabine Radl, Vice President of the EBÖ, underlined the need to expand military skills in the EU to protect the values ​​and interests of the EU.

strategic autonomy and defense capacities

Lukas Mandl, EU MP, emphasized that the establishment of armed forces for military defense was necessary and that it is important to invest in the Austrian army. Christian Ségur-Cabanac, a lieutenant general, called for a new perspective on the army and the defense industry. The focus must be on functioning logistics and personnel planning that are essential for the strategic autonomy of Europe.

The European Defense Fund (EVF) was mentioned in the further course of the discussion to promote the European defense industry, and suggestions for pilot projects, such as a common European air defense, were discussed. The panelists agreed that an open debate about Austria's role in the European security architecture is urgently required. This topic corresponds to the developments of the common security and defense policy (GSVP), which has been a central component of the EU foreign and security policy since the Lisbon contract in 2009, and has developed rapidly since the beginning of the Ukraine War. According to a report by Europarl.europa.eu, the GSVP has carried out over 40 operations and missions since 2003, which illustrates the increasing relevance of the EU on security policy issues.

geopolitical conditions and European cooperation

In addition to the GSVP and the associated initiatives, the EU faces the challenge of defining its role as an "unusual superpower". While they do not compete with classic powers such as the USA or China in relation to military resources, the influence of the EU on international standards, which is called an "Brussels effect" by Anu Bradford, shows the economic strength and global relevance of the European internal market. Access to this market is considered attractive to many countries and strengthens the EU position on the global political stage.

The current geopolitical tensions illustrate the need to create new instruments and procedures for the EU's foreign and security policy. As part of the conference on the future of Europe, new perspectives were discussed that support the majority of the population in order to strengthen European foreign and security policy. The reactions of the EU countries will be crucial to react appropriately to these challenges.

The event today made it clear that the need for a strategic realignment of the European security architecture is becoming increasingly urgent. This is in line with the demands of the European Parliament to expand strategic autonomy and to strengthen cooperation with NATO. Against the background of the Ukraine War, it will be crucial for the EU to reform their defense and security policy and to meet the various challenges together.

You can find more information about the challenges and developments in the European Security and Defense Policy at europarl.europa.eu and Europaimädchtung.de .