EUROPEAN AMBITIONS ON DEFENCE AND THE TRANSATLANTIC LINK
A FRANCO-GERMAN DISCUSSION
On 19 November, the Jacques Delors Centre, in collaboration with Sciences Po Paris, hosted MEP Tobias Cremer to talk about European defence ambitions.
As Europe confronts its most challenging security environment since 1945, the question of how to safeguard its future has become impossible to ignore. Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, rising hybrid attacks on European infrastructure, and growing uncertainty about the long-term commitment of the United States have forced Europeans to reassess both their vulnerabilities and their strategic options. Against this backdrop, the latest Spotlight event, jointly organised by the Jacques Delors Centre and Sciences Po Paris, put the focus on Tobias Cremer, Member of the European Parliament, who shared his reflections on the future of European security and defence.
In his keynote, Cremer opened with a stark assessment: Europe faces “the biggest geopolitical threat since 1945.” Russia’s aim, he argued, goes far beyond territorial conquest. It is an attempt to dismantle the European peace order and subjugate neighbouring societies that aspire to free themselves from the legacy of the homo sovieticus. At the same time, hybrid attacks targeting critical infrastructure, social cohesion and democratic trust have become a defining feature of the threat landscape. In 2024 alone, Cremer noted, such attacks caused an estimated €270 billion in damage to the German economy — three times the country’s defence budget of that year.
A second challenge, he warned, is the gradual retreat of the United States from global security commitments — a trend that predates the Trump presidency. “We may well find ourselves alone,” he cautioned, stressing the need for Europeans to build the capabilities required to defend themselves and to make NATO — the ‘European army’ we already have — more European in character. The EU, he argued, should focus on what only it can provide: coordinated procurement, interoperability, and the foundations of a true European defence market.
Cremer also stressed that defence policy cannot be separated from Europe’s internal resilience. Strong social cohesion, he argued, is an essential prerequisite for security: “A strong welfare state goes hand in hand with the willingness to defend Europe.” Countries such as Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark — whose citizens strongly support both democracy and national defence — illustrate how social investment and external security reinforce one another. Conversely, disinformation, underinvestment in public services, and political narratives portraying Europe as weak or ineffective undermine societal readiness to face threats.
In the discussion, Cremer addressed several key policy questions. On financing defence, he was clear: the investments required are so substantial that “even cutting the entire welfare state would not be enough.” Europe must therefore think differently about defence funding, including exploring common debt, which research by the Kiel Institute suggests could be economically sustainable if it boosts growth. On procurement, he emphasised pragmatism: Europe should buy European in the long term, but in the immediate term it must acquire the best available capabilities, which explains purchases such as the F-35.
Turning to Europe’s strategic posture, Cremer argued that Putin miscalculated the West’s resolve. By engaging in increasingly blatant acts — drone intrusions, sabotage attempts, targeted assassinations — Russia inadvertently galvanised public awareness that the threat is real. Europe must now maintain its long-term commitment to Ukraine, raise the costs of aggression, and avoid falling into Moscow’s traps: “Stay cool, build resilience, and use our strategic advantages — including sanctions — rather than simply reacting.” On nuclear deterrence, he advocated a renewed transatlantic bargain: Europe invests more heavily in conventional defence, while the United States maintains its nuclear umbrella, which “does not cost them much.”
To conclude, Cremer called on European defence industries to take entrepreneurial courageand aim to become truly European champions rather than competing along national lines. Ultimately, he argued, Europe’s ability to protect itself will depend not only on investment and capability but on a shared conviction that liberal democracy and the European project are worth defending.
Rewatch the recording below: