Brussels, 04/06/2013 (Agence Europe) - On Friday 31 May, European Commission President José Manuel Barroso greeted the new ambassador for Tunisia, Tahar Cherif, who had come to present his credentials for accreditation with the EU, in an awkward context. Since 14 January 2011, the country has been on the road to a democracy that the transition authorities are struggling to define as it is a blend of whim and uncertainty due to the economic situation and - according to the modernist and secular opposition - of dithering in the drafting of the constitution and the fixing of a date for the elections, an agenda that the EU is carefully monitoring. Lack of action on the security front has promoted the emergence of a jihadist fringe movement that has openly confronted the army and the police in several parts of the country, especially along the borders with Algeria. It has also been responsible for political assassination. The new minister of the interior appears to have put an end to the relative meekness observed towards the Salafists that are a threat to the country's security and to that of diplomatic representations (of the USA in particular). The EU has consistently given its support to this process. EU diplomacy, however, is based on an approach for the encouragement of “dialogue” with the “Islamists”, which has nurtured a doubt within the civil society and the media as to what its real intentions are, a doubt that has found its way into the European institution itself. The European External Action Service (EEAS), it would seem, has been lacking in vigilance when it comes to the abuses that have occurred in the area of freedoms (of the press, and of justice), and has showed complacency towards the “Islamist” fringe in government.
Furthermore, the EU has been slow to disburse the financial support pledged during the “revolution”, and has not responded to the request for appropriate measures with regard to debt - which EU member states (with Germany first and foremost) have done bilaterally, in accordance with the wishes of the chairperson of the European Parliament development committee, Eva Joly (Greens/EFA, France).
It must be admitted, the ambassador states, that “the EU lost no time in reacting” to the events in Tunisia and in the region as a whole. However, its “new incentive strategy” does not seem very innovative and is based on “traditional” partnership lines. Cherif said “it is in everyone's interest for the transition underway to be a success”. He highlighted progress made, especially a “political agreement on an action plan” (2013-2017) sealed in November 2012, a kind of “ambitious roadmap”, that plans talks for each chapter. “At the moment we are working on the development of a matrix for priority measures that must be taken” so that the “privileged partnership” is finally given “concrete content”.
Yet another step forward has been in trade which will be “one of the cornerstones” of the pledged partnership. The conclusion of a “deep and comprehensive free trade agreement” (ALECA/DCFTA) is to be negotiated after an “exploratory process” that is still underway but nearing completion.
Work that is unfulfilled, however, is at the level of direct relations and is represented by the question of debt, which “remains worrying”. According to the ambassador, “little has been done to take this burden off our shoulders”. He says a little “imagination” is needed and points out that Germany has differentiated itself from the others by signing a “conversion programme”. France has followed suit and is now negotiating with Tunisia. No reference was made by the ambassador to the concern felt by the Tunisians about the time that direct financial aid is taking to become available. The pace of allocation seems to have speeded up in recent months regarding purely European support (budgetary and EIB) but the support promised at multilateral level (Deauville partnership) is still slow.
Be this as it may, the timetable has now been set in place. Cherif says: “The next few weeks will be very full regarding Tunisia-EU relations and will end with a visit by the Tunisian head of government to Brussels at the end of the month, in addition to the organisation of the Tunis Forum (13 June) devoted to the privileged partnership and the holding of the 5th session of the Tunisia-EU Association Committee (19 June)” (our translation throughout). (FB/transl.jl)