Brussels, 21/10/2011 (Agence Europe) - Speaking at a conference on 19 October, representatives of the Arab Spring, from Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Libya, Morocco, Palestine, Tunisia and Yemen, have criticised the EU's “decade of support and cooperation” with the repressive regimes, and encouraged Europeans to build an “equal north-south partnership”, the S&D states in a press release. Poul Nyrup Rasmussen of Denmark said: “We can listen and learn from you and your bravery. In the past, the EU committed errors in its alliances”.
“We were surprised by the irruption of Arab freedom. In Europe we felt powerless to push for democracy and you have made it a reality. It was extraordinary. The changes obtained made us rethink our own policies and admit our failings”, said Véronique de Keyser of Belgium, underlining that the EU must find a way to better support democratic transition, including effective and flexible use of European funding. (CG/transl.jl)