General Virgil Bălăceanu explains why the EU needs a European Security Council: “A rapid decision-making mechanism”

Retired General Virgil Bălăceanu, former representative of Romania at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and former head of the Multinational Brigade of South-Eastern Europe, explains in an interview for „Adevărul” why the European Union needs a European Security Council and how it could operate in crisis situations. The proposal belongs to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and aims to coordinate EU leaders, together with Ukraine, the United Kingdom, Norway, Canada, and other partner states.

The novelty would be the creation of a political mechanism for rapid decision-making, without duplicating NATO. Bălăceanu maintains that the North Atlantic Alliance remains superior to the European Union in terms of military strength and command capacity, but operates on the basis of consensus, which can delay the response in certain crises.

The Council could coordinate support for a member state, including in the event of hybrid attacks, where Article 5 of NATO cannot be invoked automatically. The structure would complement the mutual assistance clause in the EU Treaty and establish a common response to military and non-military threats.

Regarding Ukraine, the general states that the “coalition of the willing” could provide security guarantees after the conclusion of a peace agreement, not in the case of a merely fragile ceasefire. He considers that a European army is still a long way off, but that EU states must rapidly develop their own defence capabilities.