European solidarity!?
Some believe it is the European Union that has kept the peace in Europe, others believe it is NATO. Of course there is a considerable overlap between the two in respect of members.
What surely is undisputable is that the European Union collectively suffers from much diminished authority in the world because many of its members will not spend money on defence. The NATO-led force in Afghanistan has brought this into sharp relief, where member states basically decline to put their troops into areas of high danger: Canadian, American and British troops are most at risk.
A number of European politicians who argue most passionately for a common European foreign and defence policy will not argue for additional defence expenditure in their own countries. The ambitious plans of some for a common defence policy have in practice cooled somewhat, but the rhetoric is still well ahead of the reality.
The one institution in our national life which remains so cherished and admired, and which is really so professional, is our armed forces. I make no broader point except to say that we have every right to keep our distance from the pan – European military dream machine when we see how pathetically some of our neighbours have been conducting themselves in Afghanistan. Let us take due note.