Does the EU have a military that could defend itself?
It has many national militaries, and I think it is safe to assume it could defend Europe against anything external threath except the US military. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
There are however military cooperation, mainly under the wings of NATO, and with the common economic borders and the (somewhat) common foreign policy leaving an attacked member in the lurch is not really an option.
If NATO was to disappear my guess is that a formal alliance would soon appear among the EU countries, within or without the structure of the EU. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
So things have changed since 1938?
(seriously, I'm no fan of NATO, but you have to see where this is going...) "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
For example, say that Finland would be attacked. Finnish citizens has the right to move - to say Paris or London - within the EU framework. The finnish government would demand help in the council of ministers and finnish MEP would demand condemnation from the European parliament. While there is no formal military alliance having a member country conquered by a non-member would wreak havoc on the EU structure.
And EU has some of the strongest militaries in the world. In spending Britain and France regularly ends up on top five.
So the norwegian troops would have to be forced out of Finland. A vote for PES is a vote for EPP! A vote for EPP is a vote for PES! Support the coalition, vote EPP-PES in 2009!
If the Iraqis can resist, after all... Fai de bèn a Bertrand, te lou rendra en cagant
