Spain's Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares called for the creation of a European army at Davos this week, marking the most explicit push yet from a major EU state for unified military forces independent of NATO.
"If we want to continue being a peaceful continent, we need to have the deterrence in our hand," Albares told Euronews at the World Economic Forum. "We need firstly a coalition of the willing of European security, secondly, an integration of our industries of defence and in the end a European army."
The proposal, long dismissed as fantasy in European defense circles, is gaining traction. Albares outlined a three-step framework: start with willing nations, integrate defense industries across borders, then build unified military structures.
What's changed? The return of American unreliability. When Denmark deploys troops to defend Greenland against potential US pressure, and when European pension funds dump US bonds, the transatlantic foundation looks less solid than at any point since 1949.
Albares acknowledged previous European defense integration efforts have failed. "But current circumstances differ," he argued, pointing to Russia's war in Ukraine and doubts about American commitment to European security.
The practical obstacles remain formidable:
Command structure: Who leads a European army? France and Germany both consider themselves natural candidates. Poland would demand Eastern European representation.
Nuclear weapons: France possesses Europe's only independent nuclear deterrent. Would Paris share command and control?
