Brexit, pandemic, war in Ukraine, migration crisis and Palestinian-Israeli conflict. In less than three years, the international agenda has tested, on different fronts, the European Union (EU) and its search for a “own” and “united voice”, which would make it emerge as a strong actor compared to other giants. like the United States, China or Russia.
Reconciling the sensitivities of its 27 member states and even its institutions is not an easy task. This is demonstrated, for example, by the confusion in recent days regarding the position of the EU in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for the visit of the president of the Commission, Ursula Von der Leyen, to Tel Aviv without waiting for a community consensus. Also the tension between Poland and Ukraine due to the ‘grain crises’ or Hungarian President Víktor Orbán’s challenge to the EU when meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday, despite European condemnation of the war.
“The European Union has a leading role internationally, it brings together some 500 million citizens and we are one of the largest markets in the world. We should have a more unified and qualified voice for certain issues and be an actor as relevant as China or the United States,” Cosme Ojeda, professor of International Relations at the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid, told RTVE.es, who believes that The disputes muddy the “work that is done behind” to “cool” conflicts or send humanitarian aid to Ukraine or Gaza.
To address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the European Union, under the current Spanish presidency, has activated the so-called “crisis device”, which was already used for the war in Ukraine, and this Saturday Pedro Sánchez participates in a summit in Egypt on the situation in the Middle East. “Europe seeks strategic autonomy, but it is very complicated to move forward between successive crises. One of the ‘handicaps’ it has is that it does not have a common foreign policy, but rather it is the aggregation of many interests, making it difficult to make decisions. There are proposals to advance a federal model, but it has not been consolidated,” says, for her part, the professor of Political Science at the Complutense University of Madrid, Ruth Ferrero.
Born precisely from the conflict – but from the Second World War – as well as the need for an economic alliance, The Single Market of the European Union celebrates 30 years in operation. Along the way, only one member, the United Kingdom, has left the alliance, while almost a dozen other countries, including Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans, remain in the waiting room until a possible enlargement that could transform the EU. as we know it.
The EU in Ukraine, a new reinforcement of unity after the pandemic
The war in Ukraine provided, albeit abruptly, an incentive for the union of the Twenty-Seven, even for a rapprochement of the United Kingdom after his departure. This move, possibly unexpected, even for the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, has remained firm in his majority support for the kyiv Governmentand has achieved historic events: the imposition of sanctions against Russia and the financing of weapons for a country at war in the absence of an EU army – beyond the one each State has -.
The word “majority,” in this case, is important. Some nations like Hungary have been against the sanctions and they remain close to Moscow, as has been evidenced at the anniversary of the New Silk Road in Beijing, where the leaders of both countries shaking hands and speaking closely. There have also been disputes with Poland, which withdrew its arms support for Ukraine due to a price conflict motivated by the low price of Ukrainian grain, which raised protests from the Polish countryside at the impossibility of competing with its products.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on the sidelines of the New Silk Road Forum in Beijing, China DPA via Europa Press Kremlin/DPA via Europa Press
“There was a lot of agreement among almost all the members that Kiev should not lose the war and they had a little more time to prepare the scenarios. Furthermore, since it was between two consolidated states it was relatively easier to establish positions,” says CIDOB researcher Héctor Sánchez Margalef.
To the keys to success are added “visible results such as the economic impact on Russia, its isolation and the reception of refugees.” Concrete actions were taken and they were working”, indicates, for his part, Francisco Fonseca, director of the Institute of European Studies at the University of Valladolid. Ferrero, however, goes further and, although he celebrates that they acted “in a united manner, assertive and fast”, considers that The moment was not taken advantage of to “deepen the development of a common foreign policy”. “And that – he adds – is now seen in the conflict in the Middle East.”
With the union around Ukraine, it was consolidated a path of collaboration that had borne fruit in the COVID-19 pandemic, when the Twenty-seven joined together for the massive purchase of debt, vaccines and the choice of their first inoculation – luck of numbers – on December 27, 2020. Also with loose verses: Germany, Hungary and Slovakia, did it before. This was, without a doubt, one of the great litmus tests that the EU faced, after the separation from the United Kingdom, to check whether the credibility in the Union was maintained or had been affected by the British experience.
The response in the Middle East once again highlights the differences
The Hamas attack on Israel has tested, once again, the European Union’s ability to speak with a single voice, but with extra difficulty. The Middle East is a complex terrain for European countries, in which different sensitivities regarding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict come together. While Ursula Von der Leyen rushed to support Israel’s “right to defend itself” in the face of Hamas’ indiscriminate attack on civilians and to visit Tel Aviv; In other currents, critical voices were raised about Israeli reprisals on Gaza, leaving the EU in a complicated position.
“The European Union, for many years, has been missing in the area. Furthermore, each of the Member States has a position and vision due to its history, which makes agreements very difficult. Therefore, they only accept principles such as the defense of international law or that crimes against humanity are not committed,” says Ruth Ferrero.
For Francisco Fonseca, however, the EU can be a valid interlocutor in the conflict because “it is at the forefront of the request of the two States, it has aid funds for Palestine and legislation to prevent anti-Semitism,” he assures. This opportunity, considers Sánchez Margalef, was lost when Von der Leyen visited Israel “returning to the image of ‘double standards'” that the EU in the Middle East “has been trying to get rid of for some time.” “It was a mistake, precipitated by Von der Leyen’s own initiative and by a very changing scenario. An uncoordinated movement can have many consequences on the image of the EU and all the work done may be buried,” he says.
In this context, put on the focus also on development aid funds in Palestine and whether they had contributed to the financing of the attack. The Foreign Ministers met urgently about this controversy and the head of European diplomacy, Josep Borrell, said at the end of the meeting that an immense majority of the partners were convinced that it was necessary to continue providing aid to Palestine and established some minimums: Israel has the right to defend itself, the civilian population must be protected, Hamas has to free the hostages, and any action, regardless of who it comes from, has to respect certain limits.
“In the Middle East, Europe is looking for its own voice. Sometimes you hear the echo of what the Pentagon says, but, socially, in European towns there are currents in favor of Palestine and the EU does not seek to spread the problem either,” explains Professor Cosme Ojeda, about the demonstrations that have taken place. have happened in recent days all over Europe.
Migration, the challenge of enlargement and the plurality of decisions
External conflicts have not been the only obstacles that have been encountered in the EU’s path. The differences about cHow to address the three European dependencies (energy, military and industrial supplies), as well as the ecological transition, among others, has also created tensions. One of those that The migration crisis keeps the partners more castled, which is why, at the last summit in Granada, a European reform was proposed, which provoked protests from Poland and Hungary. “We have been working on the immigration issue since 1999 and we still have not been able to reach an agreement, not even incorporating postulates that, historically, the extreme right had defended in relation to border control and externalization. They continue to ask for more,” he argues. Ferrero.
Among the favorable points the Unitary Market could be noted, according to Cosme Ojeda. Despite incidents like the one this Thursday in which French farmers have blocked the entry of trucks with Spanish wine, it usually works in a general way and allows the feeding of thousands of people throughout Europe. “There are aspects to improve, but the EU has worked miracles in the economic field all these years. Actions that seemed impossible, since the States maintain many of their powers, have become a reality through negotiation,” he explains.
The European Union could soon be expanded, as the Granada Summit also made clear. “Without a doubt, it will strengthen the European bloc. And it will change both the institutions and the countries themselves. They are going to have to make changes to adapt,” says Francisco Fonseca. “It is more of a warning to Russia that Europe is not only going to remain united, but that it was going to shelter those we consider our own from the Russian aggressor,” he says. Ferrero.
More voices, however, require greater complexity when making decisions, which is why the Union itself has recognized that it is necessary to adapt its institutions to streamline positioning. “It is not something that is simple and it is not going to happen overnight. It is going to require a major reform. Whether this transformation will mean greater unity or will add to the list of frictions, only time and history can judge.” “, concludes Héctor Sánchez Margalef.
2023-10-21 07:34:53
#International #conflicts #test #EUs #voice
