Europe must assert hard power or become a ‘hunted animal,’ France’s top general warns

https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-hard-power-or-hunted-animal-france-military-chief-thierry-burkhard/

by ChangeUsername220

16 comments

  2. And how do we do this exactly? France won’t even collaborate properly with other countries on building a jet and refuses other countries over fish.

  3. Reading about EU history and looking at the French today across different dealings with other EU countries it’s crazy that the French so often push things and talk while being prepared to make exactly zero concessions to make those things happen.

    Edit: He’s not completely wrong even though its a bit alarmist in my view

  4. Well it might happen if US somehow pulls out of NATO or tries to takeover Greenland i.e we are forced to put aside the difference and cooperate

  5. Nuclear weapons seems to be the only choice for any nation in the future.

  6. > Burkhard warned that Europe’s fragmented countries would have to bind together more tightly as a strategic force to counteract the “spheres of influence” being built by China, Russia and the U.S.

    —

    > “It’s not about building something against the United States or even against Russia, but rather about achieving the critical mass needed to have influence and avoid being sold off by the slice.”

    Problem is that there is an axis under construction by Russia and the US, whose alliance is preying on Europe (ex-URSS republics for the former, Denmark for the latter) and which hates EU from an ideological point of view (cf. the Heritage Foundation was reported trying to find a way to dismantle it earlierthis year). The situation is even worse if we can’t get China to stop supporting Russia. The situation is even worse if we consider that the Commission appears to care more about US interests than those of the Europeans. The situation is even worse if we consider that we are still buying US equipment, notably aircrafts, that will serve to blackmail us when we will need to use them. And the situation is even worse when we consider the rise of Europhobic parties.

    I do hope that we will find a winning scenario… but situaion is very, very grim.

  7. >Burkhard, who leaves his job at the end of the month to be replaced by Air Force General Fabien Mandon, has been at the helm of France’s military since 2021.

    It’s always ones who don’t have to back their words with actions that are the loudest.

  8. France bombed New Zealand in 1980s (attack on the rainbow warrior) and I’m still mad about it

  13. >“The Americans mainly believe that the Europeans must demonstrate their commitment to taking responsibility,” Burkhard stressed. “It’s a chicken or egg dilemma: Some countries are only prepared to commit if there are American guarantees. But it’s not really a military debate, it’s a political one.” 

    Burkhard is right to insist that it’s not really a problem of means, but will. Sure, we could do with more tanks, planes, etc, but in the end, what matters is the will to use it. And right now, there’s absolutely none. Collectively, Europe already has a very large army.

  15. Being a genuine hard power requires europe to not defend, but to power play in the global stage as well.

    It means running coups at worst, it means picking sides and airstriking militant groups, it means building infrastructure in african states and then even strongarming them if they go against your interests. It means running genuine trade wars and *treating your fucking enemies as actual enemies*.

    And considering How euros act when france does *anything* in africa that idea is dead in the water.

    Honestly. Europe as it is governed today cannot be a hard power. there are simply too many neoliberal morons running about who are too busy censoring their own pop instead of looking abroad.

  16. France talks a big game but when push comes to shove they will surrender.

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