EUROCORPS Chief Buchsenschmidt to EuroFora: EU Defense doesn't lack Means, but needs Political Will

 

    *Strasbourg/EU Parliament/Angelo Marcopolo/- Europeans don't lack Today material, human and institutional means to develop a more Autonomous Defense policy, complementary and, if need be, independent from NATO, despite various shortcomings, but it's mainly an issue of collective Political Will inside the EU, replied, in substance, to relevant "EuroFora"s Questions, the experienced Chief of EUROCORPS, Commander General Guy Buchsenschmidt from Belgium, who heads the European Force able to serve as Headquarters of Multi-modal, Land - Air - Sea, Defense - Security Operations, based in Strasbourg, with 6 full Member Countries (France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and soon also Poland), as well as  several "Liaison Officers" from various other Countries, that EU Parliament has repeatedly supported in its Resolutions on EU's CFSP.

 

    - Indeed, particularly since the entry into force, from 2010, of EU's Lisbon Treaty which opens possibilities for Reinforced Cooperations by certain EU Member Countries in various concrete areas of activities, the current problem of the lack of a Consensus among all the 28 EU Member States for the development of a European common Defense and Security policy, does not exist no agreed with "EuroFora" Buchsenschmidt, who, indeed, sees such a possibility only between a smaller number of EU Countries willing to advance forward and meet the growing Challenges of Today and of the foreseable Future.

    EUROCORPS' Chief, who heads for 2 Years this unique Organisation, which has already been used to Head the Staff Officers of important MultiNational Forces, f.ex. at Kosovo and even in Afghanistan, etc., was invited as Key-note Speaker of a Conference organized by the "PanEuropa" Think Tank at EU Parliament this afternoon, with Moderator the experienced, mainstream Austrian MEP Paul Rubig, and he participation also of former Chairman of the Biggest EU Parliament's Political group, that of ChristianDemocrats/EPP, and current President of the EPP Party, headquartered in Brussels, recently elected also as at the Presidence even of the International Democratic Party, Joseph Daul from Strasbourg.

     - Europeans should be prepared to become more "Autonomous" in Defense, since the USA are turning the focus of their attention towards other regions of the World, and given that we already have, despite delays, an important potential of capacities, in material and know-how in Europe, which could help us to become more Free to move in the Future, Buchsenschmidt added on this occasion.

    - While regretting,; however, a recent trend to include Defense among the wider Budget Restrictions since the recent Global Crisis, despite the emergence even of New Challenges, (such as the ISIS, etc), Lietenant-General Buchsenschmidt, who doesn't find neither feasible, nor necessary, to create a fully-fledged "European Army" as such at all, nevertheless strongly believes that Europeans already have the means Today to organise an efficient Defense-Security Force, (competent both for Military and Civil Protection operations f.ex. against Natural or Man-made Catastrophes), mainly by pooling Together their assets under a Joint Command, where those EU Countries who wish to actively participate, should be able to do so, on the sole main condition of the existence of a common Political Will.

    During the debates, Buchsenschmidt had, however, to reply (even if briefly) even to Questions on both how to address Russian President Putin's propaganda on Ukraine, judged to be sometimes too efficient and influential, and whether EU (and USA) should forge a Coalition with Russia against growing Threats by Brutal Islamic Terrorists of ISIL's BeHeaders, that he handled, apparently, as diplomatically as a Military Chief could..

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    EUROCORPS, which is traditionaly used by EU Parliament for the official ceremonies involving Heads of State/Government, served also, Today Morning, in the Welcome ceremony for Pope Francis, during which, a Group of Soldiers from that MultiNational European Force, raised both EU's and Vatican's Flags, followed by the  respective Anthems.

    The Pope has repeatedly declared, on the occasion of the atrocious BeHeadings and Brutal Oppression against Christians and other Minorities in Iraq and Syria by the Islamic Extremist Terrorists of ISIL, that a reaction against "Unjust Aggression" would be Legitimate, but on the condition that it will be authorized by an Agreement of the International Community, i.e. mainly at the UNO.