Will Europe ever stand up for what it believes in?
Europe is the biggest donor of overseas aid in the world. The European common market is the biggest economy in the world. Yet, the common European approach to foreign policy is defined by one thing – there is no common approach.
Vladimir Putin dealt with 17 different presidencies of the EU during his time as president of Russia. Understandably, he and others take advantage of this lack of consistency to pursue their own interests, sometimes at the cost of ours. So here are three things which I think will help improve the ability of the governments of the EU to pursue a more effective common foreign policy, when they want to – on issues like stopping the carpet bombing of Palestinian houses, or telling Sudan to stop raping and pillaging the people of Darfur.
If EU states choose to adopt the Lisbon Treaty, the EU will have an External Action Service (Article 27.3). This will include members of national diplomatic services but it will not replace them. It simply helps coordinate their activities if the member states agree a common policy unanimously (veto!). So when we all want something done, it actually happens; when we don’t, it doesn’t.
If we pass Lisbon, the EU also gets a proper High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy (Article 27), or as I call it: the HRCFSP (pronounced “hurk-fusp”). This person’s job will be to speak for the member states, but only when all the governments of the Union (veto!) agree to let them. The HRCFSP will be the person who stands up for the EU’s common values of peace, cooperation and human rights, and uses the respect that people worldwide have for Europe to improve the lot of oppressed people around the world.
Lastly, I am looking forward to the improved European presidency (Article 15.5). Right now the presidency rotates between member states every six months. This is stupid, for many reasons. Lisbon will create a two and a half year “president,” or in reality a chairperson, to carry out the decisions of all 27 governments. This will prevent situations like President Sarkozy having to step back from his efforts to negotiate a peace between Russia and Georgia. This resulted in the hapless Czech Presidency being slapped around the playground of international relations by Putin.
The values of the European Union should not be held hostage to its inability to talk to itself or to the inability of one Member States government to not collapse at the first sight of difficulty (again, Czech Republic). I for one think that Europe has the potential to be the strongest voice for peace and justice around the world. I think that a more effective Union that speaks with one voice when it wants to is the best way to send this message to the world. And I think the best way to do this is to vote yes in the Lisbon Referendum.
This may be a good reason to vote for ratification of the Treaty. But there is much more to the Treaty than the provision in question. Voters must ignore the bad reasons to vote one way or the other, identify the good reasons to vote yes or no - and there are quite a few of both - and, finally, decide where the balance falls, remembering that it’s a gamble anyway, as no-one knows how events will interact with whatever is decided.
Ross, while no doubt the EU is a noble project with noble ideals, where are we going with the EU project.
Are we prepared to subjugate the Irish Foreign Affairs Dept. in favour of the new Post Lisbon EU Foreign Affairs Dept?? This was a favoured tactic of the British Empire in the 19th Century, notably in Afghanistan, Japan and US in the 20th see the Phillipines.
Why advocate this, because you think it is “stupid” to have a rotating presidency?
Also, where is your research indicating the the new EU Super Foreign Affairs department will have any better luck with “issues like stopping the carpet bombing of Palestinian houses, or telling Sudan to stop raping and pillaging the people of Darfur” as opposed to the US or China with vastly bigger militaries telling them the same thing already?
Did the EU suspend Trade with Israel as it is well capable of doing now over the carpet-bombing of Palestine or the Leb?? No
China in Tibet?? No
Iraq pre US invasion?? No, in fact member state’s companies were involved in breaking the blockade!
You have nothing here but a bunch of “wouldn’t it be great” and “what if’s”.
In the reality of modern politics, this is pie in the sky stuff.