Italy Calls for Formation of EU Army

Italy's Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani has proposed that the European Union should establish a joint army to play a role in peacekeeping and conflict prevention.

In an interview with the Italian newspaper "La Stampa," Tajani emphasized that close European military cooperation is a priority for his party, "Italia...Avanti!" (Italy Forward), which he leads, according to Reuters.

He stated in the interview published on Sunday, "If we want to become peacekeepers in the world, we need a European army.

This is a fundamental prerequisite for us to have an effective European foreign policy."

He continued, "In a world with powerful actors like the United States, China, India, and Russia, and with crises extending from the Middle East to the Pacific region, the protection of Italian, German, French, or Slovenian citizens can only be achieved through an existing entity, which is the European Union."

European military cooperation has gained prominence on the political agenda since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which is approaching its second year.

However, efforts have primarily focused on expanding NATO, with Finland, an EU member state, having joined the alliance last year, and Sweden awaiting approval for its membership.

Tajani also argued that the 27-member EU should streamline its leadership structure and have a single presidency, rather than the current structure consisting of the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission.

Tajani became the leader of the "Italia...Avanti!" party following the death of Silvio Berlusconi last year. 

The upcoming European Parliament elections scheduled for June will be the first test of the party's popularity after the charismatic former leader's passing.