Stocker and Macron: Pressure on the EU - Security and competition in focus!

Stocker and Macron: Pressure on the EU - Security and competition in focus!

Paris, Frankreich - Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) met Emmanuel Macron on Friday in the Élysée in Paris. The occasion of the visit was a work -lunch in which central European topics were on the agenda. The points discussed included EU financial planning for the period from 2028 to 2034, economic competitiveness, as well as questions about security and defense. Another important point of discussion was the Russian attack war against Ukraine and the current situation in the Middle East. Stocker had previously visited Giorgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister in Rome on Tuesday and also met his German counterpart Friedrich Merz in Berlin at the end of June.

The summit of the EU heads of state and government, which recently took place, focused on strategic discussions. Although the focus was on competitiveness, the conclusions for defense and the situation in Ukraine remained largely unchanged. In particular, the attitude of Hungary to support Ukraine caused tensions among the Member States. At this summit, no specific military aids for Ukraine, as provided for in the "Kallas Plan", were mentioned. The Ukrainian President, Wolodymyr Selenskyj, also reported a video call about the latest attacks in Russia and the stagnating peace talks. There was unity among the EU leaders that there was currently no real negotiations on Ukraine, which continued to complicate the situation.

Current security policy developments

A topic that was also taken up at the summit was the general security and defense policy of the EU, which is designed as part of the common security and defense policy (GSVP). This policy has developed quickly since the Russian attack on Ukraine in February 2022. The EU has carried out more than 40 operations and missions on various continents since 2003. In addition, the EU has mobilized 11.1 billion euros to support Ukrainian armed forces since 2022. An important part of this policy is also the European defense fund, the budget of which is a total of 8 billion euros for the period 2021 to 2027.

The need for stronger defense cooperation was also discussed. The EU Member States agreed to strengthen competitiveness and to promote the reduction of bureaucracy. Against this background, questions about the integration of the internal market for energy and capital were also discussed in order to avoid possible trade wars with the United States. Despite the progress in migration policy, groundbreaking resolutions failed to

The strategic compass for security and defense, which was developed in 2021 and accepted in 2022, is also intended to strengthen the EU security. The aim is to procure at least 40% of defense goods together by 2030. This is part of the "Rearm Europe"/readiness plan 2030, which also includes a financing tool of 150 billion euros. While the EU continuously moves towards a stronger common defense strategy, increased attention to control and accountability in the GSVP is essential.

Overall, the EU countries face the challenge of planning and expanding their military capacities, while they are also working on stability and security in the region. The upcoming discussions and political decisions will be crucial for the future role of the EU on the global security stage.

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