Italian foreign minister calls for EU's own army creation
Photo: Antonio Tajani, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy (Getty Images)
The European Union should establish its own unified army that would play a role in peace support and prevent conflicts, states the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Italy, Antonio Tajani, in an interview with La Stampa.
According to Tajani, closer cooperation in defense within the EU is a priority for his party, Forza Italia. If the bloc aims to be a peacemaker globally, it needs an army, which is a fundamental prerequisite for an effective European foreign policy.
"In a world with powerful players like the United States, China, India, Russia, with crises from the Middle East to the Indo-Pacific region, Italian, German, French, or Slovenian citizens can only be protected by what already exists, namely the European Union," he added.
Single President
Tajani specifically believes that the EU, consisting of 27 countries, should streamline its leadership and have a single president instead of the current structure, which includes the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.
Ukraine's EU accession
On December 14, during the European Union summit, leaders approved the commencement of negotiations for Ukraine's accession to the bloc.
This occurred amid concerns that Hungary might veto the decision. The EU leaders' negotiations lasted over three hours, and the summit's start was delayed due to Budapest's position. However, during the voting, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán left the room, leading to a unanimous decision.
For more details on what lies ahead for Ukraine, refer to this material.
