European diplomacy: a planned disaster? Or a disappointment...

(BRUSSELS2) This was the title of one of the workshops proposed during the meeting organized by the daily newspapers Le Nouvel Obs and Le Soir, for "reinvent Europe" at Bozar. A provocative title, which we may not share, but which allowed Hubert Védrine, Lionel Jospin's former Minister of Foreign Affairs, to weave his theory that there is no European foreign policy possible at least as long as certain realities are not taken into account.

An unattainable result

« Programmed disaster is excessive, but programmed disappointment is reality. When you expect such a result, it's unattainable he explained before returning to an episode in the drafting of the Maastricht Treaty, which had seen foreign policy deliberately burst into the European Treaties.

"We did not measure what we wrote"

« I remember. We were in a small office with Joaquim Bitterlich (Helmut Kohl's Sherpa), Elisabeth Guigou (Minister for European Affairs) and myself. And we wrote that ". H. Védrine was then secretary general of the presidency of Fr. Mitterrand. “We didn't measure what we wrote,” he explained. " I never thought that Europeans could have a unique expression. The story is there. They are very different stories, with very different views of right and wrong. »

The creation of the EEAS: "premature"

For him, the creation of this European diplomatic service was " at the very least, premature”. " The EEAS is not doing what was expected. It's not a question of personnel. There are excellent diplomats. But that would have been a miracle." Nor is it because of the High Representative. « Even if we put a world champion diplomacy in place of Ashton, it would be difficult.

“Europe has never been united on foreign policy”

« Europe does not divide. It has never been unified. Starting with the most delicate issues such as armed intervention. " Even when there is an authorization from the United Nations, as for Iraq Kuwait, in Libya, in Mali... the Europeans do not all agree to intervene »

"As soon as there is a specific question, the Europeans do not agree"

“Having a soft influence on one part of the world does not mean having a foreign policy. We can easily agree on generalities: peace, democracy… But, when it comes to a specific question: what to do in the Middle East? How to react to China? Should we align ourselves with the United States, ... The Europeans do not agree. »

A government-population divorce

For Hubert Védrine, it is not simply a difference between States, " between continental Europe and the United Kingdom, between France and Germany”, it's a " disagreement between part of the European elites and the population”. The population is " rather for a Greater Switzerland. There is no longer any need for defense. This very strong vision in many public opinions, can lead to European pacifism. » While elites or governments (at least some) develop a " another point of view: if we do not become a power, we will not be independent”. The SEA does what can there are smart people at the SEAE.

Look for agreements between antagonistic positions

However, H. Védrine does not stop at this very pessimistic observation. He recommends " take the bull by the horns " and not to hide the divisions. "We have to find mechanisms for maturation (divisions), start from the principle that we are divided, choose key subjects and ask the countries which represent the most antagonistic positions, to work among themselves, to present a synthesis which is the as dynamic as possible. On subjects that tense. Like, for example, is Russia a threat, a mere gas supplier or a country with which to deal? If we manage to find a synthesis between these opposites, the others will be able to find their way around. » 

Immigration, part of foreign policy

“We must not pursue an abstract foreign policy, dealing for example with the question of immigration. European states have no interest in keeping their boredom to themselves but in collectively developing a policy, updating it regularly, having meetings with the countries of departure (black Africa) and the countries of transit. It would be horrible at first, but we could trigger a mechanism. »