Europe Goosesteps Onto a Defense Pact Rake

This post was originally published on this site

Europe Goosesteps Onto a Defense Pact Rake 1

Europe, particularly the Brussels Brahmin crowd and the over-educated British elites now at the head of their disastrous Labour government, really can’t stand Donald Trump.

Advertisement

He’s worse than the stereotypical ‘cowboy’ – the buckaroo they have always had such fun mocking.

The part they’ve never bothered with is taking time to study their chimerical adversary. The one who’s actually on their side – just wants them to pull their own weight, although he’s not averse to watching them chase their tails.

After the Oval Office implosion of Volodymyr Zelensky’s continued shakedown hopes and dreams, the Ukrainian president scuttled off to Europe, seeking succor and sustenance from his European friends. The United Kingdom’s Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, immediately rushed into the breach. offering billions in aid for the Ukrainian effort, including an offer of British troops on the ground in peace-keeping roles.

The European Union, galvanized into travel by Trump’s booting the besweatered Ukrainian president from the White House without his lunch, called an emergency meeting of their members to discuss now urgent defense-related matters, like…deciding where they would acquire some sort of European defense capabilities.

In world record time (for them) of forty-eight hours, the EU member states banged heads, talked bad about Trump, and agreed to poop €800 billion between the lot of them for something called the ReArm Europe Program and prove they didn’t need the United States, no, siree, Bob, they don’t.

Advertisement

The speed at which they moved was breathtaking considering the normally sclerotic rate of discussion and action at the EU.

…The ReArm Europe program, proposed by @vonderleyen on March 4, 2025, aimed to mobilize up to €800 billion for defense spending, including €150 billion in joint EU borrowing, is approved by ALL EU member states just two days later at the EU leaders’ summit on March 6, 2025… from proposal to approval in roughly 48 hours  the fastest EU regulation ever?  

Even the EU’s €750 billion COVID-19 recovery fund, agreed upon in July 2020, took MONTHS of discussions following initial proposals in early 2020, despite the urgency of the pandemic. 

The Treaty of Lisbon, a major agreement reshaping EU governance, was negotiated over YEARS (2007–2009) before ratification by all member states. 

Even smaller-scale agreements, like the European Defense Industry Reinforcement Through Common Procurement Act (EDIRPA) in 2023, involved MONTHS of planning and debate.

Shoot – they’re still arguing about NATO bills from Trump’s first term, and all of a sudden, they can find €800B in two days? Beggars belief.

The meeting also beggared President Zelensky, who arrived with high hopes and left with little more than lipstick on his cheek and a wrinkled sweater from the hugs.

Advertisement

…In as much as this defense conference was also supposed to be a statement and public opportunity to provide tangible support for Ukraine to put Trump in his place, welp. 

That turned out to be another ‘eh…not so much.’

There wasn’t a unified message released from the get-together because Hungary’s Viktor Orban wouldn’t agree to beggaring his country for a collective European and Ukrainian defense bill.

No, sir, Orban said. Not doing it. 

WE CAN’T AFFORD THIS

The EU cannot afford to finance Ukraine’s military efforts as U.S. financial aid is no longer guaranteed, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Friday after the leaders of 26 EU countries signed a statement voicing support for Ukraine without Hungary.

The meeting adjourned, and off to their respective homelands went everyone who had just agreed to take on an enormous amount of debt for their countries.

The first clue that it wasn’t going to be smooth sailing came from Germany, probably THE target when EU President Ursula Von der Leyen was urging countries who had debt brakes to get over them and get with the spending program. 

Germany’s debt brake is enshrined in their constitution and can only be overridden by a Bundestag vote. The new coalition government, which is presumed to be led by CDU head Friedrich Merz, has promised to do so. This is to free up some €500 billion for ‘defense spending.‘

Advertisement

€500B is a lot of money, and Merz can’t make this happen on his own – his parliamentary margins are too narrow as he tries to keep the ‘right-wing’ parties walled out of his government. He needs help from the Greens, who took one look at that amount and said it looked pretty unconstitutional to them. 

The Greens indicated they probably wouldn’t be voting to authorize lifting the debt brake.

Of course, compromising those principles wouldn’t be cheap, but the Greens can be had. Estimates are they’ll negotiate for skimming €200B of the €500B in ‘defense funds‘ off the top for their pet projects, which severely compromises the ‘defense’ aspects right from the get-go and puts a crimp in the target numbers instantly.

As that began to sow question marks even before the new German government is set, another setback for a united defense posture and collective debt for European security raised its head yesterday.

The Dutch government team got home from the meeting where they’d agreed with the other 26 member countries and presented the plan to their parliament for MPs to chew on, discuss, and approve.

The Dutch voted ‘no’ to lifting their own debt brake.

WE CAN’T AFFORD THIS

Dutch MPs have voted against the new European Union defence plan, ReArm Europe, because it was based on shared debt among EU countries, raising Dutch concerns about sovereignty and fiscal responsibility.

A slim majority of 73 against 71, including three of the four Dutch coalition parties, opposed European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s proposed €800 billion plan, just a week after the Dutch Government endorsed it in Brussels, despite being aware of internal discontent.

…Centrist NSC party President Pieter Omtzigt explained his vote by saying he “fundamentally opposed the idea of Eurobonds”.

“A new debt crisis would be a disaster,” he told parliament.

…Critics argued that pooling debt risked weaker economies “free-riding” on stronger ones, forcing prudent nations including the Netherlands to subsidise potentially reckless spending.

It was seen as undermining national accountability, potentially encouraging fiscal irresponsibility and clashing with the principle of limited government intervention in markets. It also raised concerns that it could accelerate EU centralisation, reducing individual countries’ control over their budgets.

Von der Leyen proposed the lifting of the debt brake for defence spending for up to €650 billion, using the escape clause of the Stability and Growth Pact which, in normal circumstances, should keep deficits under 3 per cent and the size of government debt less than 60 per cent.

Another €150 billion would be made available in loans by the EC to the capital market and then loaned to member states for joint defence projects.

“We are once again navigating into the trap of collective debt,” Joost Eerdmans of JA21 said about the scheme.

“When it comes to the €650 billion, a blind eye is turned to the 3 per cent deficit norm. The reins are being let loose there. Poor countries are allowed to build up debt again. We have a problem with that because it will lead to inflation and a weak euro.”

Advertisement

The Dutch will not pull their finger from that metaphorical fiscal dike just to float loans for all of Europe and risk taking a bath.

As far as the UK and Keir Starmer’s plans, besides obvious money woes interfering with projecting British strength around the globe, it turns out he’s having to deal with the consequences of a DEI drain in his military forces.

You see, it turns out that when white guys applied for pilot slots in the British military, they were routinely turned away because that woke group was looking for anything any color BUT.

And now, dang it – they’ve got no pilots. And, of all things, are now begging the pale-faced white rejects to please come back and apply…sorry about that, chaps.

No hard feelings, eh?

The RAF is facing a pilot shortage after a diversity hiring scheme backfired.

An official document has revealed the Royal Air Force’s need for “a higher number of pilots in training”.

The Air Force is so short-staffed that candidates who were previously rejected are being urged to reapply, as well as older applicants who have experience in “flying-related roles”.

The pleas come as Sir Keir Starmer reiterated the UK’s willingness to put “boots on the ground and planes in the air” to help Ukraine secure a peace deal.

The Prime Minister has already announced a boost in defence spending, which will increase to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2027.

The RAF now needs a “higher number of pilots in training”, according to a document seen by the Daily Mail.

Air chiefs want the gaps filled by those who may have previously been rejected.

Advertisement

Sure. I can’t imagine why there should be any hard feelings at all.

…The shortage comes after the RAF’s diversity drive was found to be unlawful to white male would-be recruits.

Under Air Chief Marshal Sir Mike Wigston’s stewardship, the air force committed to having 40 per cent women and 20 per cent of personnel from ethnic minorities by 2030.

During the drive, leaked emails showed air chiefs were told to stop choosing “useless white male pilots” in an attempt to improve diversity.

USELESS WHITE MALE PILOTS

And with this prime minister’s track record?

I’ll bet recruits are breaking down the doors to get in.

In any event, France is organizing another European defense summit for the 17th of March.

It should be interesting to see who’s still in by next week…no hard feelings.

Here at HotAir, we can’t thank you enough for reading. Our terrific VIP members are so important with their support of our daily mission to bring you the best in conservative commentary on all things political and just dang interesting. Ed, David, John, our outstanding contributors, and I pride ourselves on the work we do every day to bring you breaking stories and maybe even some you weren’t aware of. So often, in our lively comment section, I learn even more from our awesome members about a subject or they send me down another rabbit hole in research. They put me to work!

We would love to invite you to join our tremendous VIP community. You can use the code FIGHT right now to join during the 60% off special – it’s a terrific opportunity to look into the VIP Gold and Platinum memberships. 

We can’t fight the good fight without your help, and we sure appreciate every one of you for being here. Thanks bunches!

Posted in Republican News