Article of the GUE/NGL, 18.02.2009

During this afternoon's debate on the European Union's security strategy, including a report calling for closer EU-NATO cooperation in the European Parliament, GUE/NGL MEP Tobias Pflüger rejected calls in these reports for the EU to become a military superpower and for the establishment of an integrated EU armed force. "My group considers this approach to be wrong," he said.

"NATO is not a peaceful alliance - it has waged war on Yugoslavia in the past and it is now doing the same in Afghanistan." Calling NATO a "pillar of European peace and security is nonsense," he added. "NATO is one of the most serious threats for peace and security in the world. It is the opposite of the goal to solve conflicts peacefully and therefore it has to be abolished as soon as possible. My group is in favour of a civil and not a military EU and has tabled minority opinions in which we reject any further militarisation of the EU," MEP Pflüger concluded.

As a former cosmonaut, Czech GUE/NGL MEP Vladimír Remek said he had intended speaking out against the militarisation of space during this debate. However, given that the need to enhance EU security policy in the "interests of EU citizens" was being emphasised in the reports being discussed, he questioned why the views of these citizens were not being taken into account, for example, in the ongoing preparations for the installation of US anti-missile bases in the Czech Republic and Poland?

Some 70% of citizens in his country do not agree with the installation of these military bases on their soil yet plans are going ahead. MEP Remek was critical that the EU had not voiced its official support for the interests of these citizens. "In my opinion," he said "there is something wrong in the EU if the public's democratic views are not being taken into account. No wonder people are turning away from the EU and from politics or do not even identify with them," he concluded.

"The report on the role of NATO in the EU has been excuse for raising issues on the participation of Cyprus in the Partnership for Peace, said Cypriot GUE/NGL MEP Adamos Adamou. "Respect for the position of the Republic of Cyprus is essential and interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign Member State concerning an accession not required by any treaty is not acceptable."

"The complete and absolute demilitarisation of our country which is occupied by Turkey and the safeguarding of the viability of a future solution must be the sole goal of all," MEP Adamou continued. "We call on you to reaffirm that the principle of the respect of the sovereign rights of Member States is inviolable, irrespective of your overall view on the Partnership or on NATO, which remains an aggressive military organisation. Our choice is for demilitarisation and the adherence to the principles of international law," he concluded.

"International relations in Portugal are governed by the principles national independence, the respect of human rights, the rights of nations, equality between states, peaceful solutions to international conflicts, non interference in the internal matters of other states and cooperation with all other peoples for the emancipation and the progress of humanity” said Pedro Guerreiro (GUE/NGL, Portugal).

However, he said it is increasingly obvious that the European Union is in deep contradiction with these principles. "This will be made worse if it becomes the "European pillar" of NATO, in partnership with the US, in order to better promote the militarisation of international relations, the arms race and further aggression with the aim of ensuring the sharing out of markets and natural resources between the superpowers."