A majority of Europeans now support the creation of a dedicated European Union army, reflecting a sharp decline in confidence regarding the United States’ role as the continent’s primary security guarantor.
According to the GLOBSEC Trends 2026 report, 71% of respondents across surveyed nations favor enhanced military cooperation, even as they remain committed to their existing NATO memberships.
While European governments have long debated the merits of strategic autonomy, the public appetite for a unified defense force has surged, with approval ratings exceeding 70% in nations such as Romania at 82%, Lithuania at 78%, and France at 75%. Even in countries historically wary of deep integration, such as Poland and Germany, support levels have reached 70% and 69% respectively.
Evolving Trust in Transatlantic Security
The data from the GLOBSEC survey, which covered 14 countries including 11 EU member states, reveals a widening divide between Europe and Washington. More than one-third of all respondents now categorize the United States as a security threat rather than a partner. In Germany, France, and the United Kingdom, this perception is even more pronounced, with approximately half of those surveyed identifying the U.S. as a risk to their national security.
This skepticism is most visible in Germany. Beyond security concerns, German respondents displayed a notable divergence regarding the war in Ukraine. Approximately 40% of Germans polled suggested that Ukraine’s treatment of Russian-speaking populations provided a justification for the invasion, while 39% placed responsibility for the conflict on the West. Nearly 60% of German respondents indicated they would support a peace deal involving the surrender of Ukrainian territory.
Despite these findings, the push for an EU military does not mean the bloc intends to abandon the Atlantic Alliance. When asked about their preferences, 77% of respondents in NATO-member countries said they would vote to remain in the organization. Simultaneously, 78% of participants from EU member states expressed a desire to develop independent defense capabilities while maintaining their current NATO obligations.
The Return of Conscription and Strategic Reality
The appetite for stronger defense extends beyond multinational cooperation to individual national service. In countries where compulsory military service has been abolished, 64% of respondents now favor its reinstatement. This sentiment is strongest in the Czech Republic, France, Germany, and Slovakia.
At the European Political Community summit in Dublin on November 12, 40 states endorsed a French-drafted declaration on the principles of European security, attempting to harmonize defense policy. However, the path forward remains complicated by inconsistent enforcement of existing sanctions against Russia, which has allowed European components to continue reaching Russian drone and missile programs through third-party intermediaries.
“We Find Ourselves in the Same Camp as Russia and Turkey,” former Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev said. This internal friction is evident in the GLOBSEC survey, where Bulgaria is the only country in which a majority of respondents view Russia as a more important strategic partner than a threat.
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As governments manage conflicting public demands—wanting stronger independent militaries while simultaneously clinging to the security of the NATO umbrella—the question of how to fund and manage these forces is unanswered. While the public mandate for a European army is clear, the practical steps to integrate disparate national military bureaucracies, procurement chains, and command structures have yet to be defined by the European Commission or member state defense ministries.
As of November 15, 2026, the timeline for any concrete legislative move toward a unified force remains unstated by EU leadership.
