Foreign and security policy, militarisation - and the alternatives since 2001

The European is an emerging world power, predominantly in economic terms. At the same time it is a more or less openly stated goal that the EU will also become stronger in military terms and develop a capacity to intervene far away from its own region.
It must be remembered that the main aim of the EU, as stated in its draft treaty, is peace. We find it important, therefore, to monitor the Union's development, political decisions and overall philosophy and ask, Does the EU, in words and deeds, really promote peace - or are we witnessing the emergence of a new superpower built on outdated Realpolitik notions of security and conflict-resolution? And, furthermore, are there issues that EU policies tend to ignore such as nonviolence and reconciliation? In short,what are the alternatives we should seek to promote?

 

TFF Videoteque
European Union

2008

Jan Oberg, February 29, 2008
Can the EU become a peace-maker in the world? In Kosovo?
A critique of the Union's policy vis-a-vis Kosovo and Serbia and mention of Francesco Marelli's vision on a sort of Ministry of Peace for the EU - and an alternative European Security Strategy.

Francesco Marelli, February 21, 2008
Proposal for a Different European Security Strategy
An alternative text to Javier Solana's
Paper from the European Peace University, EPU, in Austria. Supervisor Jan Oberg. Pdf format, 18 pages

Francesco Marelli, February 21, 2008
Proposal for an EU Commissariat for Peace and Conflict Transformation
Turning 50, the EU can reinvent itself as a force for peace. Thesis for an MA degree in peace and conflict studies at the European Peace University. Supervised by TFF's Biljana Vankovska and Jan Oberg.
Pdf format, 48 pages

Michel Chossudovsky, GlobalResearch, February 16, 2008
EU police and military intervention to enforce secession from Serbia

 

2007

Jan Oberg, OneWorld US, March 2007
Putting Europe to the peace test
Isn't it strange that there is not a word about disarmament, nuclear abolition (the EU is a nuclear-based union), nonviolence, reconciliation, no peace-making philosophy or any serious adherence to the UN Charter in the proposed EU Treaty?

2006

Jan Oberg, TFF director, October 6, 2006
Does the European Union Promote Peace?
Analysis, Critique and Alternatives.
A new booklet by TFF's director. One of the very few systematic analyses of the often-stated claim that the EU is an actor for peace.
While it may not be completely false, the EU peace capabilities leaves very much to be desired. Intellectually and morally its proposed Constitution is a great step backwards compared with the 60 year old UN Charter.Read more here.
(Free download of PDF. Please make your honour payment here).
Dansk udgave.
Svensk sammanfattning.

Biljana Vankovska, June 26, 2006
The ageing EU Lady's hormonal problems: Human Security for chameleons
An impassioned discussion of the EU (Venus) and US (Mars), the militarization fo the EU disguised as 'human security' and what could be in it - if anything - for Macedonia and other Balkans countries. Since governments can't and won't, we better create human security ourselves, warns the author.

Jan Øberg Ny bog om EU
Fremmer EU freden?
Jan Øberg's "Fremmer EU freden - Analyse, kritik og alternativer" udkom den 4. august 2005. Traktatforslaget er ikke halvt så visionært som den nu 60 år gamle FN-pagt. At EU er et fredsprojekt er en myte, også selvom unionen ikke er en ny militaristisk supermagt. Se her hvorfor! Endvidere 25 forslag til hvorledes EU skulle kunne blive en freds-union. Se bogens indhold og konklusioner og hvordan du downloader den.

TFF PressInfo 231, December 9, 2005
Is the European Union pro-peace?
Read the Constitution/Treaty text and you are in for a surprise! Contrary to what you have heard repeatedly, there is no hope for real conflict-resolution and peace there. In this field, the EU is more in need of reform than the United Nations. This PressInfo also includes information about TFF's work concerning the EU, not the least Johan Galtung's analysis and Erni & Ola Friholt's constructive re-formulations of the Treaty. By Jan Oberg.

Erni & Ola Friholt, December 3, 2005
We want an EU Constitution for the 21st Century, not for the 20th!
A scathing criticism of the existing Treaty text but - in the best TFF style - full of ideas about what it ought to state. And the authors deliver the concrete text proposals too. Highly educational and relevant because the present text will be implemented to a large extent also without referendums. In Swedish too.

Jan Øbergs bog om EU
Fremmer EU freden?
Jan Øberg's "Fremmer EU freden - Analyse, kritik og alternativer" udkom den 4. august 2005. Traktatforslaget er ikke halvt så visionært som den nu 60 år gamle FN-pagt. At EU er et fredsprojekt er en myte, også selvom unionen ikke er en ny militaristisk supermagt. Se her hvorfor! Endvidere 25 forslag til hvorledes EU skulle kunne blive en freds-union. Se bogens indhold og konklusioner og hvordan du downloader den.

Erni & Ola Friholt, 10 februari, 2005
Vi vill ha en EU konstitution för vår tid och för fred !
Öppet brev till Statsrådsberedningen med en rad konstruktiva förslag till omskrivningar av det existerande förslaget och helt nya avsnitt.