The streets of the world are on fire: the "Managing directors" at the front...

Albania, Tunisia... Hot spots are breaking out around Europe. And this is the test of fire for the diplomatic service. With a choice made by Cathy Ashton not to send a direct political response but to ask the directors of the diplomatic service departments to go to the front and make first contact.

Thus the director of the Mediterranean and Middle East department, Hughes Mingarelli, arrived in Tunis today for a series of talks and meetings. In particular to examine all the assistance that the European Union can provide to the new regime in Tunisia, and "prepare the whole package of measures that the EU can provide", subject of the meeting of Foreign Ministers on January 31.

As for his counterpart from the 'Balkans' department, Miroslav Lajcak, he is in Tirana on a mission to reconcile the two parties. As Janos Martonyi, the Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs, explained today in the European Parliament: "we must calm the situation. Of course we need an objective investigation. But the important thing is to have a dialogue between the parties "

NB: I will not be taken out of my head that the EU, at least in Tunisia, has missed a political opportunity to show its "added value"... Here, like a year ago in Haiti, there is no It's not just technical or diplomatic assistance from Europe that is necessary, but also political talk.