“We want our future without wars” by Vera Polycarpou, member of the C.C. OF AKEL

“YOUTH” magazine of EDON, April 2014

The last two – three years we have repeatedly heard in Brussels the refrain that due to the economic crisis EU Member States are reducing their expenditure on arms, an action which the Directorate of Brussels considers as a negative development for the EU’s defence capability and for the arms and weapons industry. In their Reports to the European Parliament, the representatives of the European Peoples Party (EPP) and the Socialists went so far as to proclaim that spending on armaments programs either of the EU Member States or the European Defence Agency (EDA) should be increased, otherwise jobs will be lost! As a consequence, 70 billion Euros were approved in the Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2017 for the EDA. This amount comes from the EU budget given that with the enforcement of the Lisbon Treaty, this agency has been transformed into an agency of the EU under the “guardianship” of the EU High Representative for External Relations and the European External Action Service (EEAS). Furthermore, this amount is deducted from the funds allocated for social expenditure; an amount that could be given to boosting growth and development, as well as for overcoming the crisis, creating new jobs and tackling mass unemployment. However, it seems that the position still holds that capitalism is seeking the exit from the crisis through waging imperialist wars and interventions.
With the Lisbon Treaty, the European Union has been tied with NATO institutionally as well, which results in its militarization with the creation or/and development of military structures equivalent and tantamount to the setting-up and formation of a European army. The military missions of the EU, regardless of what name they are being called or termed, either pave and prepare the entry of NATO troops or undertake a role to impose “stabilization” after the withdrawal of these troops. The examples of Iraq, Kosovo or Libya speak for themselves…
The above-mentioned are part of the EU’s Common Foreign and Security and Defence Policy; a policy that wants the EU to play a role far beyond the European continent in every corner of the world. In other words, the EU assuming the role of a police officer under the command of NATO and the United States.
In the European Parliament, AKEL and the Confederal Group of the European United Left/Nordic Green Left have struggled against
these dangerous policies. We have denounced the new arms race that is underway, the aggressive policy pursued by the EU in Africa, the free trade agreements that are destroying the national production and economy. This is the reason why we have voted against and reject the budgets for the EU’s Common Foreign and Security and Defence Policy, the EDA and the EEAS, demanding that all of these funds should be provide for development, growth and social policies.
The dangerous descent of the militarization of the EU and as a result of international relations serves only the interests of the multinational companies, the military – industrial complex and large multinational capital. For the peoples of the EU and the world, it multiplies dangers and threats, threa
tening the future of our children. On 25th May we will strengthen AKEL in Cyprus and the Left in the European Parliament and send a strong message to the Directorate of Brussels that we want our future without wars and threats.