Hooray! The Yanks are going home

The figures are set out by Tomas Valasek in an illuminating report [Surviving austerity: The case for a new approach to EU military collaboration] for the Centre for European Reform. Most European nations are already spending far below the NATO target of 2 per cent of national income. Denmark alone plans to increase its budget in coming years. One or two others are planning to freeze spending. All the rest are cutting. Mr Valasek rightly calls for the pooling of costs and capabilities. But the problem goes beyond national pride. Partly the cuts are about fiscal austerity; partly about a reluctance to explain new threats to doubtful voters. Post-Iraq, many policymakers seem to unable to distinguish prudent precaution from madcap plans to start unnecessary wars. My own experience is that to say Europe should spend enough to protect its citizens is to be branded a disciple of warmongering US neoconservatives.