Where front-running Dublin MEP candidates stand on an EU army

Sorry, another bit on politics.

Can you guess which major Dublin MEP candidates stand for the following EU military policies?

Position: "We propose the commitment by every Member State to pool future research on weapons and military technologies: drones, satellites, soldiers' equipment, anti-missile systems and next generation major weapon systems (tanks, aircraft etc). The European Defence Agency would naturally be the coordinator of these programmes. We would like to include European defence within political and military mutual assistance in close relations with Nato. We propose the identification by each Member State of the industrial, technological, military, financial and human resources that they are ready to commit in the framework of Community solidarity and the European Security Strategy."

-- Candidate: Gay Mitchell MEP, Fine Gael's Dublin candidate for the European Parliament. (More here.)

Position 2: "In the long run, the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) should be further developed, including by increasing the synergies and integration between European forces. There must be a better coordination and use of synergies between EU and NATO to promote common interests and address common challenges in the global arena. The ESDP should develop in parallel to NATO and competition should be avoided. A strong ESDP contributes also to NATO’s interests."

-- Candidate: Proinsias de Rossa MEP, candidate for the Labour Party. (More here.)

Position 3: "The EU should play an important role in contributing effectively to global security, where appropriate in co-operation with NATO structures. Therefore we call for major new efforts to strengthen and extend the European Security and Defence Policy by bringing together European defence-related resources and capabilities. This would enhance the EU’s military defence cooperation and its responsiveness to international security and humanitarian emergencies."

-- Candidate: Eoin Ryan MEP, Fianna Fail candidate. (More here.)

And you thought that Irish MEPs were pro-neutrality?

(For the record, I do think that a European army is probably a sensible idea, in the long run. But you'd never get an Irish MEP candidate to admit that publicly. You'd swear they were all members of CND. Now you know where they really stand, according to their manifestos.)

Comments

[pk]

Just wondering what exactly you meant by "European army is probably a sensible idea".

Are you in favour of "European battle-groups" that allow member state Armies to be ready to assist in UN peacekeeping missions?

Or is it a great efficiency in the procurement of armaments through the European Defence Agency?

I don't think it would be sensible, nor does any member state want to loose control over its soldiers through an EU army.

I'll reiterate my comment to Mr Joe Higgins to you... "Lazy, lazy, lazy"

[Adrian]

PK,

I agree with all of those, yes. I agree with battle groups. I agree with common procurement of armaments. I agree with the concept of a European army. (Our army is fairly useless, save participation in overseas assignments under foreign command.)

Sorry if I didn't go into my own views in detail -- it wasn't the purpose of the post.

[propecia online]

We propose the identification by each Member State of the industrial, technological, military, financial and human resources that they are ready to commit in the framework of Community solidarity and the European Security Strategy."