Europe is oversleeping its defense and risking its survival

Christophe Gomart, former general and now Vice-President of the EU Defense Committee, says what many people think but hardly anyone says: if you want peace, you have to be prepared to wage war. Europe has no more time to lose and can no longer rely on big brother USA

Gomart served in the French army for 36 years, commanded special forces, headed up military intelligence and was in the middle of operations in Mali in 2013. Today, he sits in the European Parliament and struggles with a new reality: there are no clear orders in Brussels, only majorities. “Sometimes it’s frustrating,” he says. “In the military, I could make decisions. In politics, I have to negotiate while the clock is ticking.”

The illusion of security

For Christophe Gomart, Europe’s complacency is highly dangerous. “Since 1945, we have relied on the USA. That was comfortable, but it has made us weak.” His list of threats is long: Russia, Iran, China, Turkey, Islamist terror and an America that doesn’t want a strong Europe. “Everyone wants to divide us. We have forgotten who we are.”

Three pillars for a defensive Europe

1. Bundling industry: an end to fragmented armaments: “17 different tanks, 15 fighter jets, that’s madness. We need European champions like Airbus.”
2. Own command: A European “Command and Control” headquarters that plans and conducts operations. No substitute NATO, but the ability to act without blockades.
3. Moral rearmament: young Europeans need to know what war means. Voluntary services and education in schools should strengthen military spirit and cohesion.

“No diplomacy without weapons”

His first success in Brussels: 1.5 billion euros for the “European Defense Industry Programme”. But this is just the beginning, as Gomart is calling for 20 billion a year. “Diplomacy without weapons is like music without instruments,” he quotes Bismarck. His core argument: deterrence creates peace, not naive disarmament.

Technology decides

For Gomart, defense has also long been high-tech. AI, drones, space, quantum computing: Europe is in danger of being left behind. One particularly glaring example: 80 percent of EU company data is stored on US servers. “We pay 224 billion euros a year for American clouds. We could build our own for less. It’s not a question of what we can do, but what we want to do.”

No more time for illusions

Gomart’s time horizon is clear: “If you want operational armed forces tomorrow, you have to start today.” Tanks, ships, training: everything takes years. “The threats are real, the clock is ticking. We can’t wait until the enemy is on our doorstep.”

Hope is not a plan, but a drive

Despite all the warnings, he remains optimistic: “Europe has knowledge, skills and the will. But we have to wake up.” His conclusion is sharp: “Optimism without action is just dreaming.”

Binci Heeb

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