If you want to watch @akk's key address on German security and defence policy - live stream (in German) pscp.tv/w/1ynKOBLBlbrxR
She's emphasising verrrry strongly how important the role of the US in Europe still is.
AKK: "The idea of European strategic autonomy goes too far if it nurtures the illusion that we can guarantee security, stability and prosperity in Europe without NATO and without the USA."
"But when it comes to being able to act independently as Europeans, where it is in our common interest, then that is our common goal and corresponds to our common understanding of sovereignty and the ability to act." - AKK
Shows again the difference in understanding the terms "sovereignty" versus "autonomy" between France and Germany.
This is what I mean - how strange that years after these terms appeared, we haven't even agreed on what they mean, even less on whether we agree on them as goals.
#France #Germany #EuropeanSovereignty
German mantra, repeated "We have to become more European in order to remain transatlantic". - AKK
"Incidentally, the costs of strategic autonomy **in the sense of complete detachment from the USA*** would be much higher than the two percent of gross domestic product to which we have committed ourselves in the Atlantic Alliance."
Well luckily no one actually proposes that! 😶
Germany waking up: AKK: "Thirty years after the end of the Cold War, we must admit that the end of the Cold War was not the end of history. Peace did not break out everywhere. Our security, our prosperity, our peaceful coexistence are really threatened."
"The most important ally in security & defense policy was and still is the USA. And they will remain so for the foreseeable future. Without America's nuclear and conventional capabilities, Germany and Europe cannot protect themselves. These are the sober facts" @AKK
Now, following the speech: Discussion with @AKK, moderated by my awesome @ecfr colleague @jana_puglierin 💪
Here the text of @akk's speech: bmvg.de/de/aktuelles/z…

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More from @RikeFranke

17 Nov
Oh come on ⁦@faznet⁩ !!! “AKK stands up to Macron”, rejects his idea of European autonomy.’
Talk about a straw man! AKK has rejected an interpretation of European autonomy that Macron never made. faz.net/aktuell/politi…
"Despite sharp criticism from French President Emmanuel Macron, AKK stuck to her position that Europe could not defend itself for the foreseeable future without the US."
What Macron actually said: "But the United States will only respect us as allies if we are earnest, and if we are sovereign with respect to our defence."
geopolitique.eu/en/macron-gran…
Read 6 tweets
16 Nov
Macron versus AKK on European strategic autonomy.
Shots taken.
In case you want to read me being wrong 🤷‍♀️.
This is from last year.
ecfr.eu/article/commen…
Read 4 tweets
16 Nov
Macron on Europe: a stronger Europe as only way to prevent the Chinese-American duopoly.
Unsurprising but now very clear: Macron is not backing down on #EuropeanAutonomy
Read 17 tweets
16 Oct
Good @POLITICOEurope article this morning on "strategic autonomy"(these days more often 'strategic sovereigtny')
politico.eu/article/europe…
I agree that the term is (deliberately) vague - from the 'European Army' to 'Brexit', the EU has always used vague terms which allowed countries with different views to rally behind them.

(I wrote about this here:
ecfr.eu/article/commen…) Image
But I think the authors miss an important point when they describe European autonomy just as "inward-looking".
Because I have observed an important uptick of debate about the geopolitics of Europe exactly because of the autonomy/sovereignty discussion.
Read 5 tweets
6 Oct
I want to take this article on 'new weapons that are changing the war in #NagornoKarabakh' to talk a bit about #drones in this conflict. (1/8)
tagesschau.de/ausland/bergka…
As someone who's been looking into #drones, two things I found interesting:
First, the conflict showed again the important propaganda value of drones. As drones carry sophisticated surveillance tech, they document every strike they make (if armed), or operation flown. (2/8)
So using drones is like having a film crew with you, and Azerbaijan in particular has taken advantage of this, publishing clips of their drone operations. (3/8)
Read 9 tweets
5 Oct
Today, the #Bundestag defence committee will hold a hearing on armed #drones for the #Bundeswehr. Instead of reposting the 50 000 pieces I've written on this, here is a thread on two previous instances where Germany tried to acquire armed drones.
#Drohnendebatte2020
(Spoiler: these acquisition & development projects did not go well.)
We are in the 1979. It's the Cold War. France and West-Germany decide to develop a #drone together, named Brevel.
Read 25 tweets

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