If recent NATO summits have demonstrated one truth, it is this: talking about a “stronger Europe” used to be cheap, but since the Russian invasion of Ukraine and labyrinthine back-and-forths of the USA, EU Member States have found themselves in an uncomfortable reality that forces them to back up their words.
Member States are indeed earmarking billions for defence, but, to the detriment of their populations, not as members of a European Defence Union. They are spending it individually, without European coordination, without a common strategy, without a comprehensive vision of how those billions of euros would ultimately realise European security and deterrence. This risks not only irresponsible wasting of tax payer money, it will simply not deliver the security Europeans need. Volt believes we cannot continue like this. And we are not alone – leading with a group of 30 MEPs, we demand a true European Defence Union. It is high-time for the EU to make common European defence a reality, honouring our own treaties, which lay down the legal groundwork, already specifying mutual European defence obligations.
Europe should have no illusions: US military equipment comes with clear limits on sovereign operability. For example, the US-manufactured F-35 fighter jet currently still purchased and operated by a range of member states for around 100M€ per piece, is, reportedly, if not connected to a server in the United States, just expensive scrap metal. In times as uncertain as these, where decisions by a US President are made on whim, Volt asks if Europe can still afford to be dependent on the United States for critical defence assets. Especially in light of the FCAS fiasco where Germany and France got lost in their national defence industries’ bickering over competencies for years, only to scrap the entire development of a European next generation fighter, Volt demands Member States not only to acknowledge that our defence has to be European, but to make that said European defence a reality with the creation of a European Military under the command of a European Minister of Defence. Existing provisions in the EU Treaty should be used now and without further delay.
For Volt, NATO’s Ankara summit is a reminder that Europe can no longer rely solely on the Alliance for its security. While NATO leaders have reaffirmed their commitment to collective defence, recent policy announcements by the US administration, such as the 2025 US National Security Strategy, have severely undermined the credibility of Article 5 of the NATO Treaty. At the same time, Russia’s full-out war against Ukraine and the continued hybrid aggression towards Europe underline the urgency for the EU to strengthen her own defences.
Volt strongly believes that now is the time for Europe to take bold action towards the creation of the European Defence Union. Equipped with its own armed forces and command structures it can guarantee the freedom and security on our continent. Such a Union should strive to be on equal footing to the US, both inside and outside of NATO, as partners with equal say.
The European Union Treaty contains a number of provisions that already allow – without treaty change – for significant progress towards the longer term goal of a European Defence Union. Against this background Volt Europa calls on European leaders to:
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Start a process leading to Common Defence in accordance with Art 42.2 TEU (which does not require treaty change)
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Emphasise obligations under the mutual defence clause of Art 42.7 TEU („by all the means in their power“), thereby reinforcing Europe’s sovereignty and adding to deterrence
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Encourage the use of Permanent Structured Cooperation to accelerate defence integration, while remaining open for all Member States to join when they are ready
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Revisit and strengthen with NATO the „Berlin Plus“ Arrangements that would allow the EU to use NATO assets and capabilities
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Coordinate the EU Member States’ defence spending and procurement to ensure investments align with EU-wide strategic priorities, increase efficiency and avoid costly duplications.
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Develop a European defence industry to ensure strategic autonomy in armaments and technology
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Reform decision-making also in EU defence policy by ending national vetoes and empowering a European Defence Minister
Most of these measures require only courage: The courage of European leaders to back their demands for a stronger Europe with concrete actions and the courage to look beyond their national borders for the common European good. With the geopolitical certainties in tatters and faced with the global rise of authoritarian strong-men, this is the courage that will not only safeguard Europe but that will also ensure that the EU can actively contribute to a world where international law and democracy count more than nationalist interests and the law of the jungle.
Image source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/07/07/nato-defense-trump-contracts-spending-turkey-summit/
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