From the European Dream to the Military Nightmare
On April 2, 2025, the European Parliament in Strasbourg adopted a resolution on the implementation of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) with 399 votes in favor, 198 against, and 71 abstentions. The resolution, based on the 2024 annual report (procedure 2024/2082(INI), rapporteur Nicolás Pascual De La Parte), is formally non-binding, yet carries enormous political and symbolic weight. It marks a decisive ideological shift by EU institutions: a headlong rush into rearmament, just as the United States—under growing domestic pressure—is struggling to open diplomatic channels with Moscow in an attempt to avoid irreversible escalation.
In the midst of a bloody war at Europe’s doorstep, renewed conflict in the Middle East, and a disturbing lack of transparency and democratic pluralism in EU decision-making, the Parliament has willfully ignored any calls for diplomacy. No push for a ceasefire, no initiative for peace negotiations. Just another flood of arms shipments, billions funneled to the weapons industry, and a shocking escalation: the explicit endorsement of Western weapons being used to strike targets inside Russian territory.
ReArmEU: €800 Billion to Fuel the Fire
A central feature of the resolution is an amendment by the European People’s Party (EPP) welcoming the ReArmEU initiative—a colossal €800 billion plan to revive the European defense industry. An irresponsible mega-project approved at the worst possible time, as the war in Ukraine intensifies and casualties mount.
This military-economic escalation is cynically wrapped in the language of “strategic autonomy,” but conceals a myopic and dangerous premise: that rearmament can be an engine of economic growth. It’s a vision that evokes the darkest memories of the 20th century, and confirms how far the EU has drifted from its original identity—a union forged to guarantee peace, not to manufacture weapons.
Excerpts from the resolution read:
“The choice by the Russian regime to undermine the international order and declare war on European countries (…) represents the most serious and unprecedented threat to global peace.”
“Ukraine must be equipped with the necessary military capabilities for as long as it takes to achieve a decisive military victory.”
The resolution “reaffirms strong support (…) for the timely provision of all necessary military means to Ukraine to defend itself, repel Russian and auxiliary forces, end the conflict, protect its sovereignty and restore its territorial integrity within internationally recognized borders.”
“Without EU military support, Ukraine will not be able to achieve victory against Russia.”
It also “strongly reiterates its call on Member States to meet their commitments and provide Ukraine with weapons, fighter jets, drones, air defense systems, weapon systems and ammunition, including air-launched cruise missiles and ground-to-ground systems, and significantly increase their supply.”
Green Light for Strikes Inside Russia
Perhaps the most dangerous element of the resolution is the EU’s call for member states to lift restrictions on the use of supplied weapons, allowing Ukraine to target military sites within the Russian Federation. This is no longer about territorial defense—it’s about enabling deep strikes, openly encouraged by European institutions.
This development comes as Ukrainian forces ramp up attacks on infrastructure and civilian areas, with serious incidents reported in places like Kursk, where civilian suffering is escalating. Far from contributing to de-escalation, this resolution signifies a deeper EU entanglement in the war, with the very real risk of dragging member states into direct military confrontation with Russia.
Meanwhile, the U.S.—historically more cautious about authorizing the use of its weapons for strikes inside Russia—is still trying to broker a negotiated solution. In the recent Riyadh talks, an agreement was reached to limit attacks on Russian energy infrastructure, but Kyiv disregarded it, continuing to strike power plants and refineries. Instead of acting as a moderating force, Europe is actively encouraging this spiral.
Italy’s Festival of Ambiguity and Hypocrisy
The vote exposed the Italian parties’ moral confusion and inability to articulate an independent, rational stance on the conflict.
Governing Majority
Forza Italia (FI – EPP) voted in favor, fully aligned with the EPP’s militaristic stance and the ReArmEU plan. The party now functions as an echo chamber for NATO and Commission positions, devoid of critical perspective.
Fratelli d’Italia (FdI – ECR) abstained—classic political fence-sitting. On such a crucial matter, abstention is an abdication of responsibility that amounts to tacit approval. A politically cowardly move meant to avoid alienating any segment of the electorate.
Lega (Patriots for Europe) voted against, taking a more cautious approach toward European rearmament. However, previous support for weapons shipments weakens its coherence. It’s a half-hearted “no.”
The (So-Called) Opposition
Partito Democratico (PD – S&D) voted in favor, distancing itself only from the most aggressive amendments. The abstentions by Cecilia Strada and Marco Tarquinio stand out as rare ethical exceptions in a party now beholden to the pro-war establishment. Secretary Elly Schlein’s rhetoric against the “arms race” rings hollow: the PD endorsed the resolution and the war paradigm with it.
Movimento 5 Stelle (M5S – Left) voted against, rightly calling the resolution “a hymn to war.” Giuseppe Conte announced a popular mobilization for April 5—a rare and concrete act of opposition in an increasingly homogenized political landscape.
Alleanza Verdi e Sinistra (AVS) also voted against, breaking ranks with the European Greens. A principled stance, though largely ignored by mainstream media.
A Europe at War with Itself
The April 2 vote marks a dramatic turning point. The EU—founded to preserve peace—is transforming into a militarized, aggressive power, ideologically aligned with industrial-military interests and increasingly subservient to NATO (whose Secretary General, notably distancing himself from Trump, appears to have been selected during the Biden era with long-term strategy in mind). The myth of “strategic autonomy” is now little more than a fig leaf covering the ambitions of a European military-industrial complex which, in the absence of a genuine common foreign policy, poses real dangers.
We are being fed the illusion that rearmament is not only necessary, but somehow virtuous. “European values” are invoked to justify a policy that is bringing us to the brink of direct confrontation with a nuclear power. But this time, the war is not far away—it is in Europe. And it will be Europe that pays the social, economic, and human cost.
With the White Paper on Defence on the horizon, the goal is clear: to entrench this militaristic trajectory, silence dissent (the resolution even calls for “educating” populations that remain too pacifist), and prepare an increasingly armed and less democratic Union. But no parliamentary vote can erase this truth: we are being dragged toward war, and consent is being manufactured through fear, ideology, and manipulation.
This is not a Europe of autonomy. It is a Europe held hostage by itself.