Media/Opinion pieces
Media/Opinion pieces

The French-German relation in Defence: a must! But can’t we do better?

Whatever you call it: couple, engine, tandem. The ‘French-German’ is a must. There is no option. An inclusive one, open to other EU member states or even to like-minded third countries, for whom a strong European pillar of the transatlantic alliance is essential and the European ambition for strategic autonomy a necessary tribute to global security requirements. But this fair vision shared by France and Germany faces a lack of confidence, on both sides! We can probably do better through more rigorous methods and improve communication, as contributors to proper mutual trust.

A SYNERGY MODEL FOR EUROPEAN SECURITY AND DEFENCE APPLICATIONS?

Framework Nations invest in EUROCORPS, in addition to their national or other international commitments, because they do not want to put all their eggs in one basket. It would be a waste of national resources to view EUROCORPS only through tactical lenses and just as another Corps Headquarters. In the short term, EUROCORPS allows for risk diversification through access to resources held only by a limited number of partners. It is an insurance designed to supplement scarce national core capacities in times of crisis. Looking longer term, EUROCORPS provides a unique laboratory for the development of new technologies and interoperability.
By Colonel Eric Renaut , Branch Head Logistics of HQ EUROCORPS; in EUROCORPS publication, June 2023

Foreign Influence on International Military Students – Focus on the Portuguese Armed Forces

This piece addresses various aspects related to influences exerted on international military students, as part of their training and education, considering that, depending on a variety of factors, all this can have repercussions on the Armed Forces and, more broadly speaking, on their States of origin. International military cooperation is tied to Defense Diplomacy and to countries’ soft power.
This article highlights the Portuguese Armed Forces via two exclusive interviews with General (Ret.) Valença Pinto, Chairman of EuroDefense-Portugal, and Commodore João Silva Pereira, Director of the Portuguese Armed Forces’ Military Intelligence and Security Center.

BRICS – more than a G5?

“BRICS, a real G5 global actor, is consolidating its position as a competitor to G7, while the US and the EU find it more and more difficult to control economic development on a global scale and to impose Western values. The latest developments reported from the war in Ukraine have brought to the surface the difficulties in maintaining various countries’ willingness to continue their support for the war.”