Summary
In a recent interview with The Economist, French President Emmanuel Macron presented his geopolitical vision of the European Union's future.
Turkey's military -- the second most powerful within NATO -- is not in urgent need of EU weapons. Besides, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan now seems to prefer Russian arms, including the S-400 missile-defense system, which Turkey purchased in defiance of NATO objections.
Erdogan has long believed that the mere threat of throwing open Turkey's borders with the EU will keep European leaders in line.
Given that the European project's raison d'etre is to expunge wars of aggression and nationalism from Europe, the EU's inability to influence events in either Ukraine or Georgia is quite telling.
Hence, Macron (and many others) have concluded that Europe must confront its destiny of becoming a "sovereign power".
But now, even Germany is beginning to recognize the need for European defense autonomy. In November 2018, Chancellor Angela Merkel delivered a speech to the European Parliament advocating the establishment of "a proper European army".
There is ample evidence to show that a European army would be effective in safeguarding European security interests, even in the immediate term.
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