This is the crisis in Morghia. The Europeans intervene. A love affair starts
(B2) This is the crisis. The presidential and legislative elections that have just taken place in Morghia, a new state in the neighborhood of Europe (1), are going badly. Tensions are rising. The protests get out of control. The country is on the verge of civil war... What to do? This is the scenario on which the EU foreign ministers worked, this Friday (February 5th) at the end of the afternoon, in the maritime museum of Amsterdam where they were gathered for their traditional 'gymnich' (the informal meeting of ministers).
A game-scenario developed by the Dutch
This "role play" was an innovation of the Dutch presidency which wanted to test and see the reactions of the various heads of European diplomacy. Three series of films were thus screened in the ministers' room. Movies " very realistic and very well played explained to B2 several officials who made it possible to illustrate all the stages of the crisis: from the rise of the crisis to the paroxysm and stabilization.
A certain European will
« What is interesting is to see that, among the ministers, the very dominant position prevailed the common will to involve the European Union very early in the crisis. A number of participants were even ready to send a battlegroup ” told a few journalists, including B2, Didier Reynders, the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs. Which, in itself, is a first given all the difficulties we are experiencing today in just pronouncing the word 'battlegroup' in crisis management. " It's never the right time or the right battlegroup ". In the end, all is well that ends well. The European Union intervened quickly. And in a less, we could be pleased with the return to normal... Which remains relatively rare at the moment.
A love affair to follow
However, a question remained among certain ministers. In the last sequence, the journalist (present in the film) had imperceptibly approached the head of observation of the EU mission which had been deployed on the spot (2). A rapprochement that seemed to go beyond the professional side on both sides. " We wondered if this 'love affair' which seemed well underway would be concluded. We are waiting for the sequel confided, in a humorous tone, one of the participants in the game. Will we know one day... The rest in Season 2 of Morghia, in Bratislava in the second half?
A political level to be accelerated
Beyond the anecdote, this exercise was interesting. Because, very often, in crisis management, it is not at the military level or the planners that it gets stuck or even the lack of means. It is the political level that remains undecided and thus blocks or delays any crisis response. On several occasions, I have had echoes of various crisis management managers and field planners who had no direction on the options to be prepared or, worse, did not decide between the options presented. " Plan, deploy, quickly if necessary, we can do it. We still have to decide. And the sooner the better » an expert on these issues pointed out to me during these crises where the political level was feeling its way. " We soldiers are used to getting by. If we're given the order, we can go fast. But the longer we delay, the harder it gets regretted a second.
(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)
(1) A fictitious name which borrows the end of its name from Nigeria and the sound from the soap opera Borgen...
(2) Any resemblance of course with a situation having existed or existing is totally coincidental, as we say in the film credits. This is a work of fiction.
