Speech by Fox to the Centre for Policy Studies: The Europeanisation of Defence
"European defence policy is not only in constant progression: it has now reached the threshold of irreversibility"
I often refer to the fact that the UK spends just 2.2% of its GDP on defence, the lowest figure since 1930. Yet, while this is low by Britain's historic standards, it is much more than many of our European partners spend. Austria, for example, spent just 0.7% of its GDP on defence in 2005. For Spain the figure is only 1.3%, and the Netherlands 1.7%. Even Germany spends only 1.4% of GDP on defence. Those nations that do spend more on defence end up subsidising the defence of the low-spending nations. Furthermore France and Britain are the only European allies with flexible, mobile forces that can sustain themselves long distances from their territories.
"But the idea that any of the current EU states would ever be willing to contemplate spending on a scale that would match the level of protection afforded by the American defence umbrella is frankly laughable." Note EU-Digest: This thought by Mr. Fox, which comes out of the British Conservative party is obviously not shared by a large number of government leaders in Europe, who want to develop a more independent military presence for Europe in the world. They find that NATO, commanded by US Generals and influenced by policies from Washington, does not meet the specific needs of Europe.
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