Defense Europe lacks visibility on Libya, Ana Gomes
(BRUXELLES2) Having come to speak about the action of Defense Europe on Libya, and in particular EUFOR Libya, the Deputy Secretary General of the EEAS, Maciej Popowski, did not have the easy task of traveling to the Room 1G3 of the European Parliament this Wednesday afternoon.
Coming to explain to MEPs that the 27 have certainly decided on an action "EUFOR Libya" but that this is for the moment "in the fridge", is anything but popular and credible. And the 20-minute delay didn't really help put MEPs in a good mood. When the diplomat arrived in the room, the MEPs were as hot as a... chip stand! German green Richard Bütikofer summed up the exchange in a devastating tweet: “ Ridiculous presentation: no information; unclear goals; duplication with NATO ».
Why not an EUBAM or EUMM mission at the borders?
« The European Union has lost a good opportunity to assert itself, to become visible on security and common defense clarified Ana Gomes. The Portuguese socialist deputy is particularly upset at the weakness of the European service. I asked him, after the session, to clarify why so much anger? Answer: "I don't understand how the Union continues to speak of a military support mission when we are told that it can only act at the request of OCHA and when we know that OCHA is not asking for anything. (...) We have an obligation to enforce the embargo since the first Security Council resolution (1970) voted on February 26. What are we waiting for to set up a surveillance or observation mission at the borders of this embargo, of the EUBAM or EUMM type? »
We must respond to the needs and come to the aid quickly in Misrata
Mr. Popowski replies that “ Member States are very divided. I could understand the answer if Mr Ashton had taken an initiative, by virtue of his Lisbon powers, proposed a mission and met with the refusal of the Member States. But this is not the case. She took no initiative. And the MEP concludes: We must meet the needs when they exist, help Misrata quickly and in a limited way, we must not wait ».
NB: we can notice the almost unanimity within the Defense sub-committee on this subject, with the exception of Geoffrey Van Orden, Tory MP and former brigadier of the British Army, who regularly fights for the destruction of the PeSDC with such humor that he delights us every time he speaks (even if I don't quite share... the substance of his speech).
