President Nikos Christodoulides expressed his support on Tuesday for the appointment of a European Union Defence Commissioner. The idea was first proposed by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in February. At the Munich Security Conference, she said that “if I were to become chair of the next European Commission, I would have a commissioner for defence.”
Within the EU there have long been discussions about jointly developing and manufacturing military equipment, but many EU countries mainly want to protect the interests of their own industries. The Russian war westward against Ukraine has indeed brought new insights within the EU, but it remains unclear what the heads of state and government intend to do with it.
The plan for an EU Defence Minister has recently received support first and foremost from the Netherlands and Italy, with Dutch Defence Minister Kajsa Ollongren stating: “I think it would be a good idea if the next European Commission placed this very high on the agenda.” The Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also supported the idea, saying: “It is a proposal I absolutely back. We must be real actors in foreign policy.”
Cypriot President Christodoulides said that such a position “will further strengthen the defence and security of the European Union.” Speaking about Cyprus's own defence sector, he said that the country “has proven to be a pillar of security and stability in the wider Middle East region, an area of particular geostrategic importance.”