Hungarian, Czech PMs urge EU to build its own army

The leaders of Hungary and the Czech Republic have called for the formation of a “joint European army” to bolster security on the continent.

“We must give priority to security, so let’s start setting up a joint European army,” Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said.

He was seconded by Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, who said that building a joint army will not be an “easy project” but that the EU requires better cooperation on defence and border protection issues.

Meanwhile, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo called for the establishment of a European border guard to protect the continent’s external border.

The EU has joint defence capabilities in the form of 1,500-strong battle groups, but they have never been tested in combat. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker last year called for a European army to help the EU confront threats from Russia or elsewhere.

The eastern European leaders were speaking ahead of talks in Warsaw with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose stance in favour of welcoming Muslim asylum seekers into the EU they have opposed. The talks were in preparation for an informal EU summit in Slovakia next month that will focus on security concerns, migration and Brexit.

Merkel has warned that Brexit represented a “deep break in the EU’s history of integration”

“Brexit is not just an event like any other – it’s a turning-point in the EU’s history, so we have to frame a careful response,” Merkel said. “We must face the consequences of it and consider the future of the EU. Citizens will only accept the EU if it makes it possible for them to prosper.

“I am very happy that Bratislava will be the host city of our forthcoming European summit because our tradition of meeting in Brussels results in a lack of opportunities to see people’s real lives and sometimes we are out of touch with what Europe is really about.”