MEPs approve "dangerous fantasy" EU army

A fairly narrow (by EU standards) majority of MEPs have tonight voted for an EU army.

Nick Clegg described an EU army as "a dangerous fantasy" and denied the existence of plans to create one. Even when the plans drafted by the Germans were leaked before the referendum, Project Fear still denied the EU would be getting its own army. Now they're getting their own army in the next 12 months with a £76m budget and a mandate to operate outside of, and contrary to, NATO.

Oh and we'll be paying for it.

Nick Clegg supports "dangerous fantasy" EU army

Last year Nick Clegg responded to Nigel Farage's warnings about plans for an EU army by describing it a "dangerous fantasy". He went on to say "it's not going to happen" and that Jean Claude Juncker "can't create an army".

Perhaps it was the shock of finding out that not only can Jean Claude Juncker create an EU army but that he's actually doing it that resulted in Nick Clegg enthusiastically calling for the UK to join the new EU army despite voting to leave the EU.

Details of plans for an EU army headquartered in Germany (of course) were leaked in May but to prevent full details being exposed before the referendum the EU refused to send them to national governments until we had voted.

Juncker announces plans for an EU army

Jean Claude Juncker, the unelected president of the EU Commission used his state of the union speech yesterday to call for an EU army.

During the referendum campaign Nigel Farage was accused of lying about the EU's ambitions for its own army despite it already having been proposed and a German plan for an EU army headquartered in Germany being leaked to the press. In fact, the former leader of the UK's fourth largest party, Nick Clegg, described Farage's warning as a "dangerous fantasy".

A European army headquartered in Germany deployed across the continent ... what could possibly go wrong?

Jean-Claude Juncker says the EU will need its own army "to be credible"

Plans for EU army to be debated a week after the EU referendum

Plans for an EU army headquartered in Germany are due to be debated on 28th June but being held back from national governments until the 24th so it can't be used to bolster the Leave campaign.

The same arrangements have been put into place for this proposal as for TTIP with limited numbers of officials being allowed to view the proposals in a locked, guarded room and having anything with a camera or recording device confiscated before they can enter.

A spokesman for the British government has said that "we will never be part of an EU army" but that wording is quite specific. They won't call it an EU army, it'll be called something else and we will be involved. The EU constitution was rejected so they renamed it the Lisbon Treaty, changed the way it delivered its payload and it was accepted. An EU army would be rejected so they'll call it something else, change the way it is delivered and it will be accepted.

The only way to avoid being forced into contributing to an EU army is to leave the EU.

Euro Realist January 2009 Edition Out Now

Read the January edition of the Euro Realist newsletter produced by UKIP's Derek Bennett. This edition includes articles from UKIP MEPs Jeffrey Titford and Gerard Batten, also a report of who the EU is setting in place an EU navy by stealth from Anne Palmer. To read the January 2009 edition click here to download.