Spain has urged the European Union to move towards the creation of a joint European army, arguing that a unified force would serve as a stronger deterrent than the bloc’s current patchwork of national militaries.
Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares made the call in an interview with Reuters on Wednesday ahead of meetings at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
He said Europe must demonstrate its ability to defend itself against military and economic coercion.
“The concern over whether European citizens would be willing to assemble militarily is a legitimate debate. But the chance of assembling a critical mass is higher as a bloc than on a national level. A joint effort would be more efficient than 27 separate national armies,” Albares stated.
The comments come ahead of an emergency meeting of EU leaders scheduled for Thursday in Brussels. The meeting was convened to coordinate a common response to threats by U.S. President Donald Trump to buy or annex Greenland.
Despite Trump later announcing on social media that he and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte had “formed the framework of a deal,” the European Council confirmed the meeting would still go ahead.
Albares also held talks in New Delhi with India’s Foreign Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, where discussions included deeper defence cooperation between Spain and India.
NATO Commitment
The Spanish minister stressed that the proposal for a European army was not intended to undermine NATO.
“We need to demonstrate that Europe is not a place that will let itself be coerced militarily or economically,” he said, reaffirming Spain’s commitment to the transatlantic alliance.
A senior foreign official added that Spain’s position remained unchanged despite Trump later softening his stance on Greenland following discussions with NATO’s Secretary General.
“Spain is glad that a pathway for dialogue has been opened within the NATO framework, if that pathway is confirmed,” the official said.
The idea of a supranational European army is not new. It was first proposed in 1951 to counter the Soviet Union and ensure German rearmament did not threaten neighbouring states.
However, the plan collapsed in 1954 when France’s parliament voted it down.
Reflecting on that history, Albares said today’s leaders have a responsibility to complete the project.
“The idea of European defence was part of the origin of the European Union. It is up to my generation to finish this task,” he declared.
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