Scholz skeptical of 'European army' idea supported by Von der Leyen

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed reservations about a potential European Union army, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen supported the idea during a forum in Berlin on Tuesday, reported dpa.

Scholz said security in Europe can only be guaranteed through transatlantic cooperation. "I am firmly convinced that this is about strengthening transatlantic cooperation and NATO."

He added that it is necessary to first strengthen European cooperation in arms production to increase efficiency.

Von der Leyen, on the other hand, supported the idea of an "army of Europeans" at the WDR Europaforum event.

"Quite a few member states are in NATO as a matter of course. It is good that we have NATO," said von der Leyen, a former German defence minister.

"But NATO is not everywhere. And there are definitely scenarios where the European Union is in demand. And there, we must be in a position to act actively as well."

The big and difficult question, she said, was who would make the decision on the deployment of a European army. "There still has to be a lot of discussion on that."

Von der Leyen said she had great respect for the responsibility that men and women take when being sent to crisis areas. "This must be borne at the European level, but also at the national level, because it can be a matter of life and death."

Von der Leyen emphasized: "Such ideas have to be refined and deepened, but the direction is right."