Would an EU army weaken Germany’s dominance in Europe?

But Sophia Besch, a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform (CER), said that none of the key players - including France and Germany - have mentioned the concept. Ms Besch said: "It's really important to make absolutely clear that an EU army is not on the cards. It is a very misleading lens to look at EU defence through."

But she said that the EU has pushed for greater military co-operation as part of a “show of unity” in the wake of Britain’s vote to leave the EU. “Defence is one of the few areas where there is quite a bit of agreement,” she said, noting that the EU was divided on austerity and migration. “Britain is no longer going to be in the EU and Britain’s veto on European defence matters is no longer going to be an issue.” She said German politicians do not want to be seen as the dominant force in the EU due to a “very strong tradition of multilateralism”. After Brexit, Ms Besch said: “Germany is very aware of the fact that they are going to have to counter that idea of a dominant Germany in Europe.” She noted that Germany was working closely with other EU nations and NATO on defence. She added: “France is a more powerful military power. “I do think when it comes to security and European defence matters, it is going to be France more than Germany that countries look to.”