EU membership a derailment – altaposten.no
Norway and Europe are in a new security policy situation. The plays and policy of US President Donald Trump, not least when it comes to the war in Ukraine, has cast doubt on US security guarantees. Other Western leaders have therefore consolidated themselves and began to prepare for a future where they are no longer as dependent on the United States.
Although the EU is an inevitable part of the political discussion of these issues, it is difficult to imagine the Union as an adequate and meaningful response to the challenges – neither for the member states nor for Norway. There are several reasons for this.
Germany’s Foreign Minister Analena Baerbock is among those who in today’s new situation have ventilated the idea again, and she has stated that the establishment of a « defense union » is only a matter of time. However, France’s President Emmanuel Macron has sought solutions outside Brussels, and for good reason.
It should not be disregarded that the EU is moving towards a greater degree of coordination in the security policy field. The Union has already made it easier for member states to take out loans to renovate the Armed Forces and appointed a defense commissioner. However, these measures cannot be regarded as sufficient to meet the situation that has arisen, and it is crucial that a new consolidation takes place through other channels where allies outside the Union are also included.
Here, Norway stands safely with countries that are our allies even though we are not a member of the EU. The question of EU membership therefore appears as a derailment in this particular debate, where our historical and close ties with our allies are crucial.
