The week of the European defense opens tomorrow with the letter that the president of the Ursula von der leyen commission will send to the 27 member countries, gathered in the umpteenth committee of permanent representativesin which (for the first time) it will put some options black on white to finance the huge expenses to face. The name of the plan – which is the title – is already there: “REARM Europe “(Europe Ripe). The details not yet. In broad terms, however, the direction is already known and will start from the slope of the national expenses from the Stability pact. But the destination is not yet close.
The document must be seen as “part of a process”, explains the Commission. Because in the mid -month the White paper on defense – the Magna Charta of the European rearmament – and therefore Thursday discussion will give the opportunity to leader to give the latest indications. As for the funding, the Commission He is working on three levels of intervention: national (with the activation of the safeguard clause); European (with the possibility of using community funds not spent on EU impact projects, such as aerial shield); financial (wider shirts for the Nicethe creation of a Bank for the rioppingthe completion of the capital market with an eye to a Single defense market).
In the draft conclusion of the summit – naturally subject to changes from here to the next few days – there are both interesting and confirmation ideas. The 27, underlining the need for him to Member States “They continue to substantially increase the expense for the defense”, in fact invite “the Commission to propose further sources of financing for defense at European level, also through greater flexibility in the use of structural fundsand quickly present relevant proposals ». A very leaving formulation that could open the way to eurobondon the one hand, and to the ‘recycling‘of all funds EUfor example of the PNRR or of cohesionleft in the cashier. And on the point already there are those who – like the M5S – He speaks of “snap to Italy”, as a country’s recipient of many of the community structural funding.
Von der leyen On the general objective it was very clear. “We need a massive increase in the commitment in the defense, without any doubt,” he warned today reiterating the line of the last few weeks. That is, since USA they clarified that theEurope He will not be able to count on their protection for much more. The president of the executive widening then linked the “Rearm Europe “ to the solution of the War in Ukraine. “We want lasting peace but can only be built on force: and the strength begins with the strengthening of ourselves,” he said.
Here, however, the problems begin. If, in fact, Hungary And Slovakia – they ensure various diplomatic sources – they do not oppose the plan itself, Budapest threatens to use veto for any further military support a Kievin fact keeping the part of the top conclusions hostage EU dedicated toUkraine.
Viktor Orbanstrong in the position taken by Donald Trumpis therefore increasingly unleashed and is blocking the high representative plan Kaja Kallas To give extra sources toUkraine (net of the commitments already made there are talk of at least 10 billion euros). “You will have to proceed with a coalition of the willing to 25”, notes an official EU. Thus marking a division that now appears incurable.