"Theoretically, any plan can be implemented if politicians are determined to see it through, even in the face of opposition from society. We have seen this with illegal migration, that people did not want it, but it was pushed through in Western Europe. In practice, however, I think that this is a desperate attempt on Manfred Weber's part, said Jozsef Horvath, security policy advisor at the Center for Fundamental Rights, when asked by Magyar Nemzet about a rather crazy idea the EP leader of the European People's Party has come up with recently.
He proposed that compulsory military service should be introduced throughout the European Union.
He recalled that French President Emmanuel Macron had spoken about offering Europe France's nuclear deterrent, to which Manfred Weber responded by saying that it was an offer that "we should take up". However, Jozsef Horvath believes that the German politician's serious statements have something to do with the European Parliament elections coming up in less than a month, on June 9: this is how Weber seeks to draw publicity.
Western European politicians are seeking ways out, the expert noted, "they don't know how to respond adequately to the political situation that they themselves have partly created, meaning the Russia-Ukraine war".
We are light years away from setting up a common EU army, as a number of basic conditions need to be met first, Jozsef Horvath opined.
Reverting to Macron's offer, the expert pointed out that it is a gesture on the part of France that sounds good, since the president offered France's nuclear force, but at the same time, it is hard for him to imagine France giving up the last means to maintain - at least on the level of appearances - its status as a great power.
