Brexit paves way for European army

Britain’s impending exit from the EU has prompted fresh calls to begin the march towards a common EU army.

Also fuelling the revival of the long-held federalist dream is the aggressive stance adopted by Russia in recent years, the threat of Islamist terrorist infiltration and pressure on the EU’s external borders from an unprecedented number of migrants.

A push to put the concept of a common army on the agenda of the EU summit in October has come from the normally Eurosceptic Czech Republic. Bohuslav Sobotka, the prime minister, issued the appeal at an annual gathering of Czech diplomats in Prague – shortly after Angela Merkel, the chancellor of Germany, President Hollande of France and Matteo Renzi, the prime minister of Italy, had met on an Italian aircraft carrier off Naples in a display of unity.

Sobotka said: ‘‘In the face of uncontrolled mass migration, even states in the centre of Europe have realised that internal borders must be better controlled. Aside from better co-ordinated foreign and security policy, I also believe that in the long term we will be unable to do without a joint European army. I hope that the autumn European summit will bring concrete proposals and pledges.’’

A common army should not compete with Nato but should make the EU a ‘‘more reliable partner’’, he added.

The call comes at a moment of transition for the EU, with the departure of Britain and the search for projects that can show that the organisation can respond to the challenges of the 21st century. Security and defence are at the top of the agenda as the EU prepares to relaunch itself at the 70th anniversary celebrations in Rome next March.

Britain has long been a brake on federalist ambitions to combine Europe’s armed forces, partly because of fears that this would undermine Nato.

The 28-member military alliance is viewed in London as the essential guarantor of European peace but a growing number of nations on the Continent believe that they need to boost common forces amid concerns that the US might step back from Europe.

Supporters of an EU army – among them Jean-Claude Juncker, European Commission president – believe that a good starting point is the mutual defence clause introduced by the Lisbon treaty of 2009.

This imitated Nato’s Article 5 commitment for all members to come to the defence of any one nation that is attacked.

Alarm bells rang in European capitals when Donald Trump declared that he would make Article 5 conditional upon a country’s financial commitment to Nato if he were to win the race for the White House.

Sobotka, 44, a social democrat, is known for more positive views of the EU than some Czech leaders. It seems clear that his vision of the EU includes a tougher military stance; a view shared by most postUSSR states, which remain fearful of Russian aggression.

The 28 EU leaders were already expected to discuss security measures in Brussels in October, and it could also be on the table for an informal ‘‘Brexit summit’’ of the leaders without Theresa May next month.

Juncker suggested last year that the EU would never be taken seriously until it had its own army.

‘‘You would not use it immediately,’’ he said. ‘‘But a common army among the Europeans would convey to Russia that we are serious about defending the values of the European Union.

‘‘Europe’s image has suffered dramatically and, also, in terms of foreign policy, we do not seem to be taken entirely seriously.’’

Federalists point out that there would be huge cost savings from streamlining the overlapping defence resources of the member states.

Federica Mogherini, EU foreign affairs representative, launched the first review of EU defence and military aims in a decade with a wide-ranging paper published five days after the British referendum vote. It envisaged multinational military headquarters, combined procurement and deployments to help to cope with ‘‘times of existential crisis’’.

Debate on an EU army has been revived amid an atmosphere of heightened nervousness across Europe. In Germany, a white paper to be published today (Wednesday) raises the prospect of a return to conscription in the face of a threat.

Joe Biden, US vice-president, reaffirmed American determination to defend the Baltic nations of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia against any aggression from Russia.

Speaking on a visit to Riga, he said the US remained committed to Article 5, and dismissed Trump’s comments that he might withdraw US backing for the Baltics.

‘‘We have never reneged on any commitment we have made. Our sacred honour is at stake,’’ Biden said.

He addedTrump’s remarks were ‘‘nothing that should be taken seriously, because I don’t think he understands what Article 5 is’’.