European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told German Christian Democrat lawmakers on Monday that activating the EU’s mutual defence clause is no longer a question of whether it should happen, but of how to make it work — carrying forward a debate that Cyprus opened at last week’s informal European Council in Ayia Napa.
Speaking to the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in Berlin, von der Leyen said Article 42.7 of the Treaty on European Union is already enshrined in the treaties and binds all member states to mutual assistance. “It is not a question of ‘if’. The question is how we shape the ‘how’ and the ‘means’,” she said.
She acknowledged, however, that the treaty remains ambiguous on the practicalities. “The Treaty is not clear on when and who does what. And that is the issue we are working on intensively,” she said.
The Ayia Napa message
The mutual defence clause was at the centre of the working dinner held by EU leaders at the informal European Council in Ayia Napa — the first such summit on Cypriot soil since the island joined the EU in 2004. President Nikos Christodoulides called on European partners to formalise the clause into a structured operational mechanism.
“We all agreed that when the sovereignty of a member state is threatened, the answer is not a question of ‘if’ but of ‘how quickly’,” Christodoulides said on Friday, adding that member states would send specific ideas to the Commission President on the matter.
Germany’s role
Von der Leyen singled out Germany’s potential contribution, pointing to its size, geopolitical position and industrial capacity. “Through its size, its geopolitical position at the heart of Europe and its industrial strength, Germany, in particular, plays an important role. It is about providing the necessary capabilities and capacities, filling gaps — both industrially and militarily,” she said.
“From air defence to drone technology and cyberspace. Only then will we be able to respond. Only then will we be credible. Only then will we be able to stand united for peace and security on our continent,” she added, noting the matter would be taken up further in the parliamentary group’s executive committee.
