Koenig says recent Ukraine-Russia crisis shows the new EU vision for security and defence "fills an important gap".
The European Union’s common strategic vision for security and defence is “ambitious and comprehensive” but “lacks clear political prioritisation,” Nicole Koenig, Deputy Director at the Hertie School’s Jacques Delors Centre told members of the German Parliament’s (Bundestag’s) Foreign Affairs Committee in a public hearing on 14 February 2022.
Koenig was invited to speak as an expert about the EU’s “Strategic Compass”, a proposal that aims to establish the EU’s role as a security actor and outline its vision for the next five to ten years. Committee members questioned Koenig and five other experts on the purpose, weaknesses and potential impact of the Strategic Compass.
Koenig said in her written statement to the Committee, which was formulated prior to the 24 February Russian invasion of Ukraine, that “Russia's current aggression against Ukraine once again underscores the need for a more strategic orientation of the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP). The Strategic Compass is thus timely and fills an important gap in the EU's strategic framework.”
She noted that, regarding implementation, “…there is a risk that controversial decisions will be postponed until the implementation phase or that measures will not be implemented or will be implemented only half-heartedly due to a lack of political will.” She went on to describe these risks in terms of three core goals of the Compass: “A clearer political objective, more robust crisis management, and more flexible implementation.”
Find her full written statement here (in German).
Find a video of the proceedings here.
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