Predestined failure
The dispute over the EU’s nascent defense force provided a useful lesson for Greece’s political elite, as it dashed illusions about the country participating equally in EU and NATO decision making. This is not, of course, to negate the importance of Greece’s membership in these multinational organizations. The NATO alliance does not guarantee Greece’s security against a potential Turkish attack, but the fact that Athens and Ankara have not engaged in military conflict over the last 50 years is a result of their joint membership in a strong – and at this moment the sole – military alliance. Given the deep historical enmity between Greece and Turkey, the aim should be to include both states in the West’s strong military and economic organizations. In this sense, the prospect of Turkey’s incorporation in the EU after the removal of Greece’s reservations was the right move, for the prospect of a free and unchecked Turkey in the region would run contrary to Greece’s interests. On the issue of Europe’s rapid reaction force, the United States, Britain – in many ways a non-European country and not a fully-fledged participant in European integration given that it opted out of the eurozone – and Turkey, a country with cultural and political ties to Europe, have all outlined a framework for NATO’s link to the embryonic European force, and came up with the so-called Ankara document in December. In essence, this farcical situation confirms the EU’s satellite status toward the US as far as security is concerned. The Greek political elite, and particularly the government, ought to emphasize the EU’s inability to wean itself from the US. It could achieve this if, instead of assigning examination of the issue to a single diplomat, it had asked for a wider discussion of the issue within the EU framework. Such a move would reveal that the formation of the eurocorps primarily serves the interests of Washington. The government did not do this because it evaluated the situation poorly, perhaps also because it nourished the illusion that it could influence developments. In effect, Greece has come under intense pressure from its allies and partners and now faces humiliation. It seems that Greece is not as respected as Prime Minister Costas Simitis has it, since it is being pressured to accept an agreement which essentially gives Turkey a say in the EU’s military planning. In order to tackle the issue, the government and the opposition have together formed a strong front against outside pressure. But the Ankara document will most likely prevail, and Simitis will be offered merely some unofficial clarifications that will allow him to argue to the public that Greece’s sensitivities have been taken into account. Any such arrangement would be politically costly, as it would not meet Greece’s essential concerns over Turkey. However, for the sake of dignity, the prime minister should avoid making any claims about Greece’s views having been respected by NATO and the EU. For the only view that seems to count is the one coming from Washington.
