PRAGUE (Sputnik) — After a series of terrorist attacks in Germany and France, it became clear that it is necessary to be prepared for various threats, and the wave of migration has pointed to the need to protect the EU external borders, he stressed.
"I am convinced that in the long term we won't be able to do without a common European army," Sobotka was quoted as saying by the Ceske Noviny news portal.
The rise of nationalism, as well as the number of collapsing states and international conflicts is currently rapidly increasing, Sobotka added.
Europe is currently facing a major refugee crisis, with hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to reach wealthy EU member states through various routes, including via Italy, Greece, Turkey and Balkan states. At the same time, a threat of terrorism is a challenge, as over the past several weeks a wave of attacks has occurred in the European Union, which forced the bloc to urgently and extensively boost its safety and security measures.