Britain's Eurosceptic politicians and commentators have long been fixated by the idea that the EU will one day set up a "European army" comprising all the armed forces of the bloc. After this week’s meeting of the French, German and Italian leaders on Europe’s future, such claims are again being loudly voiced.
Meeting on an aircraft carrier off the island of Ventotene, François Hollande, Angela Merkel and Matteo Renzi said the EU must sharply increase co-operation on defence and intelligence to combat Islamist terrorism. Mr Hollande was insistent on this point, saying “we want to ensure that there is greater co-ordination there, extra means and forces”.
