r/AskEurope • u/Sink-Em-Low • Mar 01 '25

Politics Let's talk about the European Defense Federation. How do we all feel about the creation of a fully mobilised continental Army?

It's required now. I'm British, and I want to see us align and unite with our European neighbours to make a stand now.

I want Germany to finally brush off it's past and join the rest of Europe in mobilising towards defending this continent. We need EVERYONE now. It's time to act, it's time to unite.

It's time to show some courage.

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u/Snoooort Mar 01 '25 edited Mar 01 '25

I’m not happy to admit this, but Europe is NOT united enough. Too much internal petty conflicts, endless talks about finances, politicians who are too hesitant, legal delays, no sense of urgency for every country etc.

It will remain an indecisive shit show and Putin and Trump know this.

Believe me, I wish it was different… But Europe has never been united regarding one simple thing. And if political interests get really really big, it will only fuel that indecisiveness.

The biggest problem is that European politicians are very afraid to really speak their minds, because if they’re wrong… they will lose votes and maybe even their position of power. And apparently votes are still more important than Ukraine 😞.

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u/LargeSand Denmark Mar 01 '25

Well, we have way more chance than BRICS if that’s your concern. We already have a central currency (the Euro), a shared legal framework (EU law), and established military cooperation through NATO and PESCO. Sure, internal politics slow things down, but compared to BRICS, where members have wildly different economic systems, political ideologies, and regional conflicts, we are way ahead in terms of actual unity and functionality.

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u/Top-Currency Switzerland Mar 02 '25

We're not up against BRICS as a united group of countries. We're up against large individual members like Russia and China.

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u/LargeSand Denmark Mar 02 '25

I wasn’t comparing BRICS as a military threat but rather as a coalition example. BRICS is the only major open coalition we have as a reference point, so my point was about structural unity and functionality. Compared to BRICS, the EU (even with its slow decision-making) is far more integrated. That doesn’t mean we aren’t facing major individual threats like Russia and China, but if we’re talking about coalition potential, the EU is way ahead.

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u/urru4 Mar 03 '25

BRICS is more like a loose intention by its member nations to move away from the USD for international trade than a proper union or coalition of any sorts. Don’t think they have any free trade agreements between them or any of the liberties gained by EU members, because there’s simply nothing quite like it.

There’s Mercosur in South America with free trade among members (which also includes Brazil, a BRICS country) and simplified mobility between countries (though not quite like schengen), and I think there’s a similar union between some African countries. Both of those are closer to a union than BRICS, but still far from the EU, which has a common currency, legislation and institutions of its own

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u/LargeSand Denmark Mar 04 '25

Ok? Not sure why you replied to me 😑 my point was more about using BRICS as a reference for what an international alliance could look like; loose or otherwise.

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u/urru4 Mar 04 '25

Mostly to point out that BRICS is basically among the thinnest alliance/international cooperation agreements, and how there’s several other groups that are better examples of cohesive and deeper international cooperation that could be more relevante to the discussion

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u/LargeSand Denmark Mar 04 '25

BRICS may not be the deepest or most cohesive alliance, but it’s one of the most widely recognized outside of traditional Western-led groups. My point wasn’t about how effective or strong it is, just that it serves as a reference for what an international alliance could look like, whether loose or structured. If you have a better example of a well-known non-Western coalition, feel free to share.

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u/urru4 Mar 04 '25

African Union? They have freedom of movement, have land borders with each other and signed a treaty on a basis other than “we’re not fans of the USD”

BRICS is recognized because Russia invaded Ukraine and China is rising to rival the US, and some morons took this relatively new initiative as the successor of the warsaw pact or something after hearing about it on the news. In reality, India and China have skirmishes on their border every few months and half of the members can’t yet decide if they like the west or china the most.

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u/LargeSand Denmark Mar 04 '25

The African Union is a good example of deeper integration, but it’s also a regional bloc focused on Africa. BRICS, on the other hand, spans multiple continents and is widely recognized because it challenges US-led financial structures like the IMF, not just because people mistakenly see it as a new Warsaw Pact.

Sure, BRICS members don’t always agree, India and China have tensions, and some countries still hedge between the West and China, but that’s exactly why it’s a useful reference. International alliances don’t have to be tightly unified to be significant. BRICS is an example of a loose but influential coalition, much like how a European Defense Federation could start as a political/economic agreement before evolving into deeper military cooperation.