ABSTRACT
The European Union (EU)’s foreign and security policy is plagued by unclear concepts, contradictory interests and fierce controversies between its member states. The EU as a “power of peace” has been pushed aside and geopolitical ambitions moved into the foreground. This is a retrograde step for international peace and security and especially unfortunate at a time when the UN’s primacy is already under challenge. The emphasis on a stronger military role of the EU is faced with two problems: first, not all member states agree to this course and second, given the shortage of resources, this policy will in the long term be at the expense of the so-called “European Peace Facility.” The EU spends much more money on its development programs, civilian peace missions and democracy policies, mainly in African countries and the Balkans, than on military interventions. The EU Commission assumes an expanded role and financial resources are allocated for that purpose in the present EU budget.
