Former Italian prime minister calls on member states to strengthen military cooperation and increase defense spending
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has warned that the European Union will not be able to defend itself if China decides to attack one of its member states. The veteran statesman has urged Brussels to adopt a strong military strategy and invest heavily in defence.
Berlusconi made the remarks in a video interview recorded on Friday by Sky TG24 news channel. He is currently being treated at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan where he was diagnosed with leukemia in early April.
The former prime minister said the EU was not a force to be reckoned with on the international stage and if China decided to “Occupy Italy, and maybe other European countries, we have absolutely no way to fight back.“
“The best thing we can do is go to school to learn Chinese,“He added.
To improve its status, Berlusconi says the EU needs to take “aA single military policy, with strong cooperation between the armed forces of all European countries.”
He also advocated increased defense spending and the creation of a 300,000-strong “first aid team.“
Politically, Berlusconi said he would like to see “truly united continent” – he argues that this would be easier to achieve if the EU abandoned its “unanimous consent principle” and voted for an 80-85% majority.
He went on to stress that the EU can and must play a greater role in the world, including by standing up to what Berlusconi called “theChinese imperialism.
Last month, Bloomberg reported that current Prime Minister Georgia Meloni was considering pulling out of China’s Belt and Road infrastructure project.
However, according to the sources cited in the article, there is a lack of consensus within the ruling coalition on the matter.
Speaking ahead of a visit to China in late March, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that while “decoupling“It’s not in the EU’s interest to come from Beijing, Brussels should be”bolder“In relations with China – China is developing”More repressed at home, more confident abroad,’ she added.
Commenting on von der Leyen’s remarks, Fu Cong, China’s ambassador to the EU, said her messages were inconsistent and contradictory, while noting that “Distortion and misinterpretation of China’s policies and positions,’ and advised the European Commission president to find better speechwriters.
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