Germany strongly opposes EU military and strategic autonomy. This was evident in the fact that Germany avoided responding to France’s calls for practical European solidarity in relation to Australia’s decision to cancel the contract for the 12 conventional propulsion submarines.
The German policy-strategy gives absolute priority to economic cooperation and to securing the US defense umbrella for Germany and the rest of Europe.
All that Germany accepts is the creation of a European Rapid Reaction Force (please read the analysis entitled “Why EU delays in Creating Joint EU Armed Forces“). The Germans is opposed to increasing their federal budget defense spending from 1.5% to 2% of GDP annually and as required by NATO Regulation.
From the above we conclude that Germany is not possible to support the efforts of France to create both Joint EU Armed Fand the strategic autonomy of the EU against the USA .
In these matters Germany has the suport and assistance of the East EU member countries that they believe that only the US can protect them from the Russian expansionism, while other member-countries for their own reasons do not want to increase their public spending especially their defense type spending.
Given that there is no common European policy in strategically important areas it is given that successful EU crisis management cannot be achieved in the issues of Australia, Middle East, Afghanistan and China.
