Manfred Weber, a prominent politician from the CSU and Chair of the European People’s Party (EPP), has advocated for a radical rethink of Europe’s defense policy, asserting that the continent must achieve true sovereignty and the ability to defend itself. Speaking to the media, Weber argued that Europe’s defense must ultimately be secured by European means. “No other power can threaten Europe with a stronger weapon than we possess ourselves. Europe must become a nuclear power” he stated, insisting that only through collective European nuclear capabilities can the continent build a truly independent and sustainable defense structure.
Weber framed this necessity against the backdrop of massive geopolitical upheavals, citing the concerns of US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly questioned NATO’s security guarantees and tends to intertwine economic interests with security matters. Given the immense military pressure facing Ukraine, Weber dismissed the notion of passive hope, declaring plainly that European strategy “cannot be serious if we just hope that everything will turn out fine”.
Consequently, Weber strongly urged member states to engage with France, whose president had offered talks regarding nuclear cooperation. The EPP head stressed that this represents a “real opportunity for Europe”. However, he also cautioned about the complex political situation in France, making the Europeanization of French nuclear assets essential. To achieve this goal, he demanded that control over both nuclear and non-nuclear capabilities be expanded across the entire continent. He concluded by outlining immediate structural needs, emphasizing the necessity of establishing common situational awareness, a standardized command structure, and unified funding mechanisms to build what he termed a genuine European nuclear shield.
