Elam member of the European Parliament Geadis Geadi on Tuesday called for the European Union to bolster its defences, saying that “Europe cannot sail into the future on a boat made out of hope and luck”.

He began his speech at the parliament’s plenum in Strasbourg by saying that “the unstable international environment requires the construction of a stronger European defence”.

“The Russian invasion of Ukraine, Turkey’s aggression against Greece, the illegal Turkish occupation of Cyprus, the uncontrolled actions of Islamist terrorist organisations, mainly in the Middle East, illegal migration, hybrid threats, cyberattacks, and changing geopolitical developments require immediate action,” he said.

To this end, he said that the EU “must build strong military capabilities and invest in the European defence industry”.

This, he said, must be done to ensure the effective implementation of the Lisbon Treaty, the EU’s mutual defence clause, which states that “if a member state is the victim of armed aggression on its territory, the other member states shall have towards it an obligation of aid and assistance by all the means in their power”.

Geadi on Tuesday closed his speech by saying that the EU must boost its defence capabilities “so that Europe can respond quickly and decisively to any threats or aggressive actions against it”.

“Only a common European defence framework can safeguard Europe’s freedom to protect European territories and international law,” he said.

His comments come after Cypriot Trade Minister Michael Damianos had last week called for a stronger European single market with the aim, among other things, of using its benefits to bolster the EU’s defence sector.

Geadi’s fellow Cypriot MEP Costas Mavrides had made similar statements at the European Parliament’s previous plenary session last month, calling for Europe to strengthen its defence industry and bolster its “independence from external factors”.

One key element of the EU’s new defence architecture is its Security Action for Europe (Safe) programme, through which the Cypriot government secured over €1 billion of funding last year.

Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas had said at the time that the funding would see the National Guard acquire military hardware to “cover [its] priorities” until 2030.