Von der Leyen and the EU rearmament plan: a blow to democracy

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Published by Dario Dongo on April 26, 2025

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Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, in carrying forward her belligerent politics he tried to impose with a anti-democratic coup his controversial 800 billion euro rearmament plan – worth twice as much as the entire Common Agricultural Policy – bypassing the European Parliament. A diktat that recalls the methods of an authoritarian regime, rather than those of an institution that should represent the democratic values of the Union.

Thanks to a legal loophole – theArticle 122 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU (TFEU) – von der Leyen tried to push through her 'Rearm EU' (later renamed 'Readiness 2030') without a parliamentary vote, using a clause designed for economic emergencies (European Parliament, Legal Service, 2023). But the European Parliament lawyers They panned this maneuver, calling it 'without legal justification'.

The technical opinion that exposes the illegality of the 'Rearm Europe' plan

In a 11 page document, the legal services of the European Parliament have highlighted that:

Article 122 is not applicable to a long-term military-industrial plan (European Parliament, Legal Service, 2023);
il ReArm EU should have followed other procedures, such as theArticle 173 TFEU, which regulates structural interventions for industry;
the Commission he did not provide any valid justification to bypass Parliament.

In essence, von der Leyen has violated the rules to accelerate a project that does not respond to a real emergency, but to a militarist agenda dictated by NATO and the United States (Stop the War Coalition, 2023).

A European Parliament too weak to oppose?

Despite the overwhelming opinion of the lawyers, there is a risk that the JURI commission (Legal Affairs) approve the plan anyway, due to the alliance between EPP and S&D (Populars and Social Democrats, they say), always ready to bend to the wishes of the Commission (Corporate Europe Observatory, 2023).

But the real scandal is that the vote will be held behind closed doors, without public streaming. A lack of transparency which shows how the EU institutions are distant from the citizens (Transparency International EU, 2023), which instead they ask for peace and the restoration of a civil economy necessary for the livelihood and dignity of all.

Our alternative: cooperation, not confrontation

While Brussels bureaucrats are debating behind closed doors, it is time to mobilise a broad coalition of peace movements, trade unions and civil society organizations to organize protests across Europe (European Peace Movement, 2023).

We firmly support:

stop the militarization of the EU – No more funding for weapons, more investments in healthcare e fight against poverty;
respect for democracy – No to secret treaties, yes to parliamentary control and citizen consultation;
dialogue with all countries – Europe becomes a bridge of peace and dialogue between the West and the rest of the world.

Dario Dongo

#Égalité #PaceTerraDignità

References

Corporate Europe Observatory. (2023). The militarization of the EU: How arms lobbyists shape defense policy. https://corporateeurope.org
European Peace Movement. (2023). Peace protests across Europe: Report and analysis.
European Parliament, Legal Service. (2025). Legal Opinion on the use of Article 122 TFEU for the ReArm EU Plan (Doc. PE 734.892).
Stop the War Coalition. (2023). EU militarization and NATO expansion: A threat to peace.
Transparency International EU. (2023). Lack of transparency in EU defense policymaking.
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. (2012). Articles 122 and 173. Official Journal of the EU C 326/47.