Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Solana: Europe to become a Super Power

EU member states must realise the importance of their role in the World, said the EU's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana in an interview published by the German paper, Die Welt.

This week, on the 18 October, Mr Solana will have been three years in the difficult post as Secretary General of the Council of the European Union/High representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy. Over this period, the Spanish socialist, who is both a former Spanish foreign minister and a former Secretary-General of NATO, has co-ordinated the foreign affairs policies of the EU member states.

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An enlarged EU with 25 member states would have double as many citizens as the US and four times as many as Japan. "We have no choice, we must play a role", Mr Solana said in the interview. He referred to the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, who said two years ago that Europe would become "A superpower, but not a superstate."

Mr Solana expressed his doubt about whether a new EU president would be able to succeed in coordinating the views of the different EU member states.

"I have my doubts, whether an artificial created post, of which the outline is not yet clear, would be able to contribute to any solution", Mr Solana said and characterized the debate as being still at an "embryonic stage".

He declared the six-monthly rotating EU presidencies as inefficient, especially when it comes to foreign affairs policy. However he failed to come up with any concrete alterative proposal. "I am not sure what will be the best solution", he said.

A superpower but not a superstate

British Prime Minister Tony Blair Friday held a speach in Poland in which he voiced the vision of a European superpower, but not a superstate. Blair also welcomed new member states to participate in the European parliamentary elections in 2004 and to have a seat at the table at the next IGC

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

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