European Union should have its own defence HQ, says Jean-Claude Juncker

Strasbourg: The European Union should set up a headquarters to coordinate efforts towards creating a common military force, European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker said on Wednesday.

“We don’t have a permanent structure and without that, we are not able to work efficiently and so we must have a European HQ and... work towards a common military force,” Juncker told the European Parliament in his annual State of the Union address.

The speech was dominated by Britain’s shock June vote to quit the European Union, depriving it of a major, nuclear-armed Nato military power but one which had also been hostile to any suggestion the bloc should have its own army.

Juncker stressed that post-Brexit, the EU’s remaining 27 member states had to stick together and that included taking on increased responsibility for their defence.

As well as an increased military role, Juncker also said the EU will have to step up its diplomatic presence, suggesting the bloc should have a single foreign minister.

Juncker also recommended tighter privacy and security for services like WhatsApp and Skype. He also promised to provide free wifi in European village and city by 2020.