Brussels, 06/04/2011 (Agence Europe) - The situations in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain are “very tense”, “worrying” and even “dramatic”, but, for the moment, the EU can do little more than call on the authoritarian regimes in place to end the violent repression of demonstrators, open constructive dialogue with the opposition and begin the political, economic and social reform called for by their peoples. That is, in summary, what Hungarian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Zsolt Németh told the European Parliament (EP) in Strasbourg on 6 April. Catherine Ashton, in whose name Németh was speaking, is doing all she can to exert European influence on the unfolding events in these countries “where ever this is possible”, he said. The EU is ready and willing to help transition to democracy if assistance is asked for, the Hungarian minister of state said, contenting himself, on everything else, with repeating Ashton's comments over the last few days.
This was not, of course, to the liking of MEPs. Given the European inertia in the face of the tragic events in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain, where democratic movements are being brutally repressed, José Ignacio Salafranca (EPP) said he had “the impression that we are witnessing regression in the development of the common foreign and security policy” and “we are going back” to before the time of the Lisbon Treaty “which is nothing more than a memory”. For the Socialist (S&D) Group, Véronique De Keyser, while acknowledging Ashton's “intense diplomatic efforts”, said: “We should be behind the people in the streets and achieve at any price an end to the violence so that the people can finally speak!” To do so, the EU had to use the “full arsenal of sanctions” at its disposal and, in particular, arms sales, she said. Speaking on behalf of the Liberal (ALDE) Group, Anneli Jäätteenmäki criticised the EU's “lack of strategy”. Instead of sending “weak and empty messages”, the EU should: - send a team to the three countries; - put a ban on the sale of arms; - impose “targeted sanctions”, such as a visa ban and freezing assets, on the regimes of the three countries; - call for a special meeting of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. Hélène Flautre (Greens) also spoke of the “unbearable” repression which had to be stopped: “The people who are demonstrating have to be protected”. Statements (from Ashton et al.) were “important, but there also had to be action”, she went on, adamant that crimes committed must not go unpunished. Sajjad Karim (ECR) was very hard on Ashton and her stand-in Németh: the report had been no more than “hollow words”, empty statements and reactions, he said. “What does the EU intend to do? Not a thing, I haven't written down a single thing - my sheet is still blank”, lamented the British Conservative MEP. Marisa Matias (GUE/NGL) laid great stress on the importance of banning arms sales to these countries. The EP is due to adopt a resolution on the situation in these three countries on Thursday 7 April. (H.B./transl.rt)