Emmanuel Macron's wins a second term that will be the start of an EU military independent of the US and NATO as part of his agenda. He has expressed a desire for the EU to create its army for defensive purposes.
It only can happen if the second term is won and Brussels has to contend that one of the few leaders has diverged their opinions from the alleged US-dominated EU.
Macron's Win in French Elections
With war raging on the continent for the first time since World War II, the French president has long sought to increase the EU's defense capabilities, reported the Express UK.
With the incumbent president favored to win the runoff election on April 24, analysts predict that a stronger focus on defense will mark the incumbent's reelection.
A "new Europe is in the making," according to Frédérique Carrier, a strategist at RBC Wealth Management, as priorities alter and defense becomes more essential. Macron has long advocated for greater unity inside the EU regarding defense.
The latest Coordinated Annual Review on Defense (CARD) of the EU, published in 2020, highlighted severe flaws in the bloc's military capabilities.
Only 60% of EU troops and weaponry theoretically available to NATO were in a fit state to be deployed, according to the assessment, while EU military missions only receive 7% of all EU states' armed units distributed abroad. The EU does not have all of the necessary military capabilities to achieve [its] degree of ambition.
Establishment of an EU Army
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell spoke to reporters at the time on fragmentation, duplication, and a lack of operational engagement plague European defense.
Emmanuel Macron's administration was blocked from a lucrative submarine deal with Australia after joining Britain and the United Kingdom to form the AUKUS accord, which cost the EU €50 billion.
Carrier noted the war versus Russia had offered Europe an opportunity for an EU military, with Macron arguing that the time has come for an EU-wide defense policy. She went on to say that changing the EU treaties to remove the veto system is a move that many members are reluctant to accept. The developments in Ukraine could prompt NATO countries might influence the formation of the army.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz approving the export of lethal weapons to a conflict zone for the first time since World War 2 is a radical change.
For the first time since World War II, Chancellor Olaf Scholz has announced the sale of deadly weapons to a combat zone. Plans are already in the works to achieve Macron's goal.
Macron endorsed a significantly revised military strategy during a summit meeting a month earlier. The plans include the creation of an EU rapid deployment force of up to 5,000 soldiers that will be under the bloc's control, cited Country Highlights.
Plans to increase military budget are also being discussed, the French leader recommending more joint EU borrowing, remarked Carrier, noted the Eagles Vine.
Emmanuel Macron's second term is pivotal to the EU military, which is seen as necessary to have its own military force.
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