3 Myths about European Defense
Introduction
Earlier this year, I decided to take my first international relations class. Our first topic was European defense. I remember thinking that the relationship between the European Union and the United States seemed like that of a toxic boyfriend. Think about it: the United States tells the EU to develop its own security, but as soon as the EU makes any attempt, it is a red flag. The United States then claims that whatever the EU does will be undercutting NATO. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright explained in a 1998 press conference that the effort to create a European security and defense identity (ESDI) must avoid “the three ‘D’s which is no diminution of NATO, no discrimination and no duplication.” Since the late 1990s, U.S. policy has consistently opposed EU defense attempts, arguing that EU defense efforts would undermine NATO. How can the EU create its own defense if everything will somehow overlap with NATO? Hence the toxic boyfriend analogy: it seems like no matter what the EU does, the United States will never be satisfied. My goal is to tackle American misconceptions about European defense and make a case for why the Europeans should be given more leeway to develop their own defense.
Myth #1: There is no public support for European Defense because Europeans are pacifists.
Despite the fact that Europe was the playground for two World Wars, Europeans have always been perceived to be less violent than their American counterparts — “the US was deemed from Mars and Europe from Venus.” The myth that Europeans are pacifists and peaceful comes from the perception that European states have “unmartial publics.” This is the idea that force is seen as unnecessary and distasteful to most citizens. Due to this preconceived notion, journalists, academics, and even policymakers developed a stereotype that European voters are “more cautious, inward-looking and reluctant to use force.” Despite this common perception, a survey from the EU Eurobarometer found that EU defense policy has “garnered high public support consistently over the last 3 decades (between 65–75% support).” Furthermore, “no other policy domain is as enduring and popular as the idea of pooling national sovereignty over defense.” Another survey by the ECFR reveals that “at least 60 percent of respondents in every surveyed country — and an average of 67 percent across all these countries — believe that they cannot always rely on the US to defend them and, therefore, need to invest in European defense.” Based on public surveys and responses, a majority of the European public does want to invest in European defense.
Myth #2: The Europeans do not spend enough money on defense.
The second misconception is that the EU does not spend enough money on its defense because some of the European states do not meet the 2% of GDP requirement for NATO. This idea was often amplified by former President Trump who often accused NATO countries of not spending enough on the military. In one instance, Trump accused Germany of not spending enough on defense because it only allocated 1.57% of its gross domestic product on its military. Trump created a perception that all EU states are missing the 2% quota and therefore not spending enough money on the military; however, “Ten of NATO’s 30 members were estimated to be spending at least 2% of their GDP on their militaries, up from only three in 2014.” Furthermore, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg states that he “expect[s] this trend [of having NATO countries spend 2% of their GDP on military] to continue.” It is also important to note that the 2% of GDP towards NATO funding is just an arbitrary requirement, and EU states are expected to put what they can towards defense. The 2% requirement is not something necessary in order to be successful in defense bulking. In addition to increasing GDP contributions, overall “the EU spends more on defense than either Russia or China, at nearly $200 billion per year,” meaning the EU has the largest military spending after the United States. In 2016, the United Kingdom spent EUR 47 billion or 23.7% of the EU total; France spent around EUR 40.7 billion or 20.4% of the EU total; Germany EUR 32.7 billion or 16.4%; and Italy EUR 21.5 billion or 10.8%. Thus, contrary to Trump’s depiction of the EU defense spending, EU states are spending a lot of money towards defense and continue to increase their contribution to NATO.
Myth #3: The Europeans do not have advanced enough technology to defend themselves.
There is also a common perception that the EU states lack advanced technology and “Europe’s existing capabilities are so deficient that it would require a massive and protracted effort to bring them up to speed.” Furthermore, there is the belief that without U.S. military support, the EU would essentially crumble. However, “Europe has world-class arms industries, an advanced space launch and satellite capability, considerable military expertise, and the ability to purchase advanced weaponry from the United States.” In addition to spending a large sum on defense, European countries are among the top exporters of lethal arms equipment worldwide. European weapons exports comprise approximately 26% of global arms exports since 2015. The top five European arms exporters are France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK, and these countries alone account for 22% of global arms exports in the 2016–2020 period.
Conclusion
Despite the common stereotype that European states are non-violent and pacificists, most European citizens actually support the funding of European defense. With the second-highest defense spendings after the United States, European states are far from lacking in defense investments. Furthermore, EU states have strong militaries that are on par with many other large countries. The EU states have all the necessary components to truly form a European military. Why stop them? The US continues to restrict the EU from developing its military, yet wants the EU to buy U.S. military products. It is clear that the United States simply wants to make the EU rely on them. The United States needs to provide space to the EU to develop its own military autonomy and forces. The United States needs to stop acting like a toxic boyfriend and let the EU prosper.
