Europe heads towards a 'new era of security'.

Munich Security Conference. Photo: MSC

The focus of particular attention from the international community is the coordinated effort between France and Germany to promote the formation of a common European defense alliance – something that France and Germany hope will create a “new era of security” for Europe amidst increasingly strained relations between the US and Europe.

Find your own path.

In his highly anticipated speech at the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo boasted about America's position as the world's number one power, asserting that "America holds the key to making the world safer." He also cited examples such as the US leading the military coalition against the self-proclaimed Islamic State (IS), eliminating its leader Al Baghdadi, and promoting diplomatic pressure on Iran, demonstrating that the US has not neglected its allies as rumored, and highlighting the success of its campaigns under US leadership.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the Munich Security Conference on February 15. Photo: AFP

But the speech, with its many details showcasing America's position, failed to impress some key figures in Europe, including French President Emmanuel Macron.

While the US boasts about its ability to pressure Iran, Macron views it as a deadlock, preventing European countries from maintaining their foreign policy around the 2015 Iran nuclear deal. From this, Macron argues that Europe cannot always follow the lead of the US, and must “act in a way that thinks Europeanly,” demonstrating European sovereignty with stronger, bolder capabilities on the international stage. And for a stronger Europe to defend itself, it needs new military strength within a new security structure – one unaffected by Brexit and the UK's departure.

One of Macron's big ideas is that European partners, particularly Germany, could share France's nuclear weapons instead of relying solely on the US "nuclear umbrella," as has been the case since the Cold War.

French President Emmanuel Macron speaks at the Munich Security Conference.

The idea that Europe should strengthen its defense capabilities, put forward by French President Emmanuel Macron, has been strongly supported by Germany. One of the reasons Germany cites is that President Donald Trump's "America First" policy is forcing allies to "fight their own war," especially since Trump has repeatedly warned Europe that it must take more responsibility in security matters.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier bluntly accused US policy of causing instability, stating that "every year, the world moves further away from the goal of promoting international cooperation to bring peace to the world." Meanwhile, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas called for the establishment of a European defense alliance within the next 10 years, arguing that Europe has common tools and common interests, and therefore needs a mechanism to create a common political will, thereby coordinating European defense and security policies more effectively on an international scale.

German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Photo: AFP

Germany also cited the specific example that Europe could have its own military policy in the Strait of Hormuz region, independent of the "maximum pressure" policy that the US is pursuing with Iran. France and Germany are confident that the two countries have made significant progress in military cooperation recently, such as the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) and the Main Ground Combat System (MGCS), and that this "joint effort" will help them lead new initiatives on a pan-European scale.

Two pillars - one goal

However, a stronger Europe in defense with a common defense force is an idea that bothers NATO. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that the issue of Europe taking on more responsibility for security does not mean that Europe will fulfill that responsibility alone without the United States.

According to Jens Stoltenberg, efforts to establish a common European military force could erode transatlantic relations, weaken NATO's capabilities, and even cause divisions within Europe itself, given the differing resources of its members. Therefore, Europe needs to find ways to increase its security responsibilities while still ensuring the unity of its 29 members.

NATO soldiers.

Amid concerns about potential divisions within NATO if Europe were to establish its own defense forces, French President Emmanuel Macron asserted that this is not a project against NATO or a replacement for NATO. The vision for building a common European military force is to create another pillar of security for Europe alongside the existing NATO, and both pillars share a common goal: "ensuring European sovereignty."

For Europe, security responsibility is not simply about increasing defense spending to 2% of GDP as the US calls for, but about Europe's autonomy in pressing security issues, independent of US decisions. It is clear that while Europe and the US share many common values ​​and have stood side-by-side in numerous major campaigns, these "two partners on opposite sides of the Atlantic" still have many differing interests, leading to different approaches on many issues. This is not just about the Iranian nuclear issue, which Secretary of State Mike Pompeo cited as an example in his speech; a range of other issues, such as relations with Russia and the war in Syria, require Europe's freedom of action through "European policies," not "transatlantic policies."

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks at the Munich Security Conference in Germany on February 15. Photo: Reuters

French and German leaders have repeatedly referred to President Donald Trump's warning about withdrawing the US from NATO, viewing it as a "push" for Europe to become self-reliant in its security through a common military force. However, analysts believe that even if Donald Trump retracts this warning, or even if a new leader replaces him in the US, France and Germany will still proceed with their plan to build a common European force.

Because the underlying philosophy behind this plan is the aspiration for European independence and autonomy in global affairs, commensurate with its population and economic development. France currently has a developed arms industry, with its military participating in many independent campaigns without cooperating with the US, for example in Africa. France also maintains a fairly independent and straightforward policy even within NATO. Meanwhile, Germany remains Europe's leading economy. Analysts liken the combination of France and Germany to a combination of "muscle" and "money," an effective combination that could change the game in the global security arena.