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Fayez el Sarraj, the head of the Libyan government (from Tripoli) is he still credible?

(B2) This is the question that Europeans will no doubt be asking themselves this Monday (December 9), during the meeting of EU foreign ministers. But the answer already seems a foregone conclusion listening to several European diplomats

Fayez AL-SARRAJ during his meeting in the European Parliament with Antonio Tajani, then President of the Parliament (credit: PE)

A discredited government

By signing an agreement with Turkey delimiting an exclusive economic zone, which deliberately violates the interests of several European countries (Greece and Cyprus), the government of Fayez el Sarraj no longer seems able to federate the Libyans around him, and even more capable of dragging the Europeans behind him. By supplementing this signature with a military cooperation agreement which clearly aims to circumvent the international embargo, the leader of the Libyan government has largely discredited himself... In a way, he has signed his 'political death' in the eyes of Europeans.

Lip support

Officially, nothing has changed though. The Europeans swear to their great gods that it is still the government recognized by the international community. " Mr Sarraj is our partner with whom we have and we must have contact confirmed Friday (December 6) Peter Stano, the spokesperson for the High Representative of the EU, interviewed by B2 during the traditional midday press briefing. Behind the scenes, the discourse is quite different, however. We thus hear again about other equally legitimate actors.

The Libyan parliament, once again a credible interlocutor

« This agreement with Turkey has already been challenged by the Libyan Parliament and other actors in Libya “says a European diplomat to several journalists (including B2). Something confirmed by another who goes even further. " This agreement still needs to be ratified by the Libyan Parliament. he recalls, who relocated from Tobruk to Benghasi. And given the animosity between the two holders of power, the legislature in eastern Libya, the executive in western Libya, it does not seem to be the day before tomorrow (1). The speaker of the Libyan parliament Aguila Salah Issa, decidedly very surrounded since he declared himself against this agreement, will moreover be very officially received in Athens by the Greek authorities on Wednesday 11 December. This despite being on the EU blacklist. That's how times change...

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

Article developed from an interview given to the newspaper of the TV channel El Arabiyah, Friday, December 6

  1. For the Europeans, in fact, the priority seems to be more Ankara than Tripoli. " We are discussing with Turkey above all confirms a European diplomat. " The major problem is not Libya but Turkey, our partner in several areas... "

Nicolas Gros Verheyde

Chief editor of the B2 site. Graduated in European law from the University of Paris I Pantheon Sorbonne and listener to the 65th session of the IHEDN (Institut des Hautes Etudes de la Défense Nationale. Journalist since 1989, founded B2 - Bruxelles2 in 2008. EU/NATO correspondent in Brussels for Sud-Ouest (previously West-France and France-Soir).

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