Attack against Charlie Hebdo. European leaders shocked and united (Maj)

(BRUXELLES2) Very quickly after the first news of theattempt against the Charlie Hebdo newspaper in Paris, the various European authorities reacted.

A barbarity that challenges us (Juncker)

The President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker said to himself " deeply shocked by the brutal and inhumane attack” which hit the premises of Charlie Hebdo. " It is an intolerable act, a barbarity that challenges us all as human beings and Europeans. » he added. specifying “My thoughts are with the victims and their families. I express, on my own behalf and on behalf of the European Commission, our greatest solidarity with France. »

A relentless fight against terrorism (Tusk, Poland)

The President of the European Council, the Polish Donald Tusk, made a point of stressing that “The European Union stands alongside France after this appalling act. It is a brutal attack on our fundamental values, on freedom of expression, the pillar of our democracy. The fight against terrorism in all its forms must continue unabated. »

Sickening Murders (Cameron, UK)

Shortly before, the British Prime Minister, David Cameron had expressed his emotion « The meurtres in Paris are disgusting. We are with the French people in the battle against terrorism and the defense of freedom of the press »

The murders in Paris are sickening. We stand with the French people in the fight against terror and defending the freedom of the press.

—David Cameron (@David_Cameron) 7 Janvier 2015

An attack on an essential element of our democratic culture (Merkel, Germany)

In Berlin, the German Chancellor Angela Merkel made a point of ensuring our french friends " of all the solidarity across the Rhine against this " attack despicable ». " This heinous act is not only an attack about life French citizens and security interior of France. It also represents an attack on freedom of speech and freedom of the press, an essential element of our democratic culture liberal which is completely unjustifiable. »

The Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, said he was “dismayed” following the events.

We are appalled at the events that took place in Paris this morning. Our thoughts to the victims and their loved ones.

— Xavier Bettel (@Xavier_Bettel) January 7, 2015

An attack on values ​​(Kopacz, Poland)

The Prime Minister polonaise Ewa Kopacz has « condemned the perpetrators of the assassination in Paris, an attack on media freedom and the values ​​of Europe " and this « join à pain and sorrow of families of the victims and society French ».

Preserving our freedoms (Rinkevics, Latvia)

In Riga, Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics — whom I have just met on the occasion of the inauguration of the Latvian presidency — made a point of strongly condemn » the terrorist attack. It is " another reminder on the need to continue coordinated efforts on the fight against terrorism and extremism and to defend the freedom of the press. » And to add: "there is a need for the justice and interior ministers of the European Union to work more closely with the European Commission", especially on "foreign fighters". But he also wanted to warn of the need not to go too far in the security aspect. He " there must be a balance between the measures necessary for security and those preserving the freedoms ».

Do not react unconsciously (Martin Schulz, European Parliament)

A substantially identical position for the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, “ It is a moment of great sadness but we must not react unconsciously. Beyond our opinions, our beliefs, we must speak out against these acts. I call on all citizens to defend our values ​​together. » And to add: We Europeans will never give up on the values ​​of freedom of the press and expression, tolerance and mutual respect that this attack wanted to call into question..

An act of extreme gravity (Aurescu, Romania)

For the Romanian Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu, who reacted with a press release in French “ this extremely serious act against representatives of the press is an attack on the very essence of democracy, the values ​​and fundamental freedoms. We condemn in the strongest terms this terrorist act, which represents a revoltingly cowardly attack on the press and on the civilized world »

We stand in solidarity with France (Stoltenberg, NATO)

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg also spoke of a barbaric act and an inadmissible attack on the freedom of the press ". And to add: We are totally in solidarity with France, a member country of the Alliance. All Allies stand together in the fight against terrorism. Terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations, can never be tolerated or justified. »

"We are all french" (Muscat, Malta - Renzi, Italy)

Paraphrasing the phrase heard in 2001, "we are all Americans", Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said: Today we are all French ". A very simple sentence that sums up very well all the other European reactions. Phrase also pronounced by Matteo Renzi. " We are all French declared the President of the Italian Council of Ministers in a message to the French Embassy in Rome. " Horror and consternation at the Paris massacre, total support for François Hollande and Anne Hidalgo in this terrible moment. Violence will always lose against freedom and democracy " he added.

martyrs of freedom

But it is certainly from across the Atlantic that the strongest message came. There is no photo". The American John Kerry was able to find the right words, calibrate the emotion and the political level, in a video message. And in French please. What few Europeans are able to do today!

« I will speak directly to the Parisians and the French. All Americans stand by their side and your determination to protect this value that is very scary to extremism: freedom. No country knows better than France that freedom has a price, because France gave birth to democracy herself. Freedom of speech and a free press are core values, these are values universal; principles that can be attacked but never eradicated, because people brave and honest in the world will never be yield to bullying and terror which those who seek to destroy these values employ.. The assassins proclaimed that Charlie Hebdo is dead. They are wrong. " What more can be said...

(NGV)

NB: even if no crisis meeting has yet been announced at European level, it seems certain that the Paris attack will change the situation in the priorities for the coming months. Not to mention the implementation of the solidarity clause (an innovation of the Lisbon Treaty), an extraordinary meeting of Home Affairs Ministers should be able to be organised, we said when the article was first published. This point has already been put on the agenda of the next meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (read: The fight against terrorism on the agenda of the next Council).

 

(Updated - updated several times during the day of January 7 as reactions are received).