Brussels, 07/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - At her hearing before MEPs from the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee on Monday 6 October, Federica Mogherini, the candidate for the post of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, highlighted a true EU common policy. “We must fashion our vision together and set up a true common policy. This is the priority for the next five years (…) It is impossible to address the situation if we do not, all together, assume our responsibility”, she said. “There is not one decision that can be taken by a single member state. We must use our common potential (…) Emphasis needs to be put on a feeling of belonging”, she added. Mogherini said she intended to visit the 28 capitals of the EU member states during the first month of her mandate in order to progress on this common position - by meeting the governments, but also the parliaments and NGOs. She said that an end must be put to the dichotomy between the interests of the member states and those of the EU.
Mogherini underlined “the crucial role” of the European Parliament's diplomacy. “Parliamentary diplomacy can play an additional role”, she said. Stating that she could facilitate a mission from the European Parliament to be sent abroad, she warned the MEPs to expect to coordinate with the European External Action Service (EEAS) before and after their mission “without interference” from her part.
And while Catherine Ashton seemed to ignore the European Parliament, Mogherini is committed to collaborating with MEPs. “I will be much more present. I envisage a special partnership with the European Parliament. It is my duty and my interest to be present here as much as possible”, she said. “As strange as that might seem, I want to be present as much as possible”, she insisted, hoping for meetings before and after the Foreign Affairs Councils because this would enable “a common vision to be adopted”.
A real Ms CSDP. The hearing also showed Mogherini's resolve to distinguish herself from the current high representative on issues linked to the common security and defence policy (CSDP). She said that “another thing I probably want to do differently from what has been done in the past is to play the role fully as regards defence because I think that is it time that we developed this part of the work too”. “Fully playing” this role is first of all simply participating in the informal meetings of defence ministers on a regular basis - which was a pretty non-existent practice with Ashton. Making a tour of all the EU's civil missions and military operations across the world is the second of Mogherini's ideas for adjusting her travel schedule and for underscoring that her hat of high representative includes security policy just as it does foreign affairs.
As for her work agenda, it is Mogherini's past experience that - despite this being “thin on the ground, still exists”, as she underlined herself - she intends to use as a basis for developing “cooperation on security and defence, as established by one of the four priorities of the strategic agenda adopted by the European Council in June 2014”. In this context, she wants “to fully assume” her responsibility as head of the European Defence Agency (EDA), which has “an enormous potential”, especially as regards capacity pooling and sharing , she stated. This is as necessary from a budgetary point of view as from a strategic one, she added.
Although the Lisbon Treaty provides many instruments to strengthen the ESDP, these have not yet been fully exploited. This observation has been made on numerous occasions and Mogherini did not hesitate to repeat this message either. Nonetheless, she would now like to change the way things are set up or at least, if there is an opportunity. She stated, “I will see whether over the next five years there are the political conditions to finally use it (the Lisbon Treaty: Ed)”.
Nonetheless, one of her priorities will be to respond to one of the wishes expressed by the European Council during her meeting in December 2013. It has already been planned for June 2015 that Mogherini will put forward an assessment of, “the impact of changes on the international scene”. What form should this assessment take? She informed MEPs that, “I have not come to you with a clear idea about that at this moment or whether this should be a document, security strategy or white paper”. She said that she did not as yet have the format in mind but believed that the needs were clear, “we need a long-term vision to prevent crises and for post crisis management”. This will ultimately guide all her different approaches, which will be to, “preserve peace, prevent conflict and enhance international cooperation”. To achieve this aim, she intends to work as closely as possible with NATO and its new Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, from Norway, who is “a very good friend”.
Mogherini was also happy to return to questions from MEPs on current crises and according to the High Representative-designate, although Russia is not a “partner” any more, it was still, “a strategic country and neighbour”. In reply to Richard Howitt (S&D) regarding what tactics should be adopted in response to the “Russian Bear”, the Italian minister for foreign affairs responded, not without humour, that she did not, “have much experience with bears but we need a mixture of firmness and diplomacy. The balance also depends on the bear's response”. She emphasised that it was, “important to think about our relations”. With regard to the risk of Russia attempting to create a corridor in Ukraine between its territory and the Crimea, she insisted on the need of creating a “common front” and being able to establish preventive rather than a simply reactive response and warned, “we need to deliver much more political support to the efforts being made by the Ukrainian leaders. It is difficult but if we do not help them, the winter will certainly be a nightmare from an economic and energy point of view”. She said that if we fail to be at Ukraine's side, who would be there instead?
She said there was no question of abandoning southern EU neighbourhood policy, “paying attention in the east and south is not contradictory. We have to act on all fronts at the same time”. Mogherini highlighted the need to, “stop the Islamic State, which is not a state or Islam but a major global threat”. She emphasised that, “it is not possible to provide a military response if, at the same time, there is no political response or if we fail to take action to tackle the causes of extremism (poverty, lack of social and economic security… it is the EU's duty to try and reverse this trend”.
The future High Representative explained that the Union had to play a more important role in the Middle East and underlined that, “for the first time, the EU had been asked to attend by the Israelis, Palestinians and Egyptians… for once, we were called on to play an essential role”. She believes that the EU must shift from playing the role of an efficient player to one of playing efficiently and explained that, “it would be useful for the EU to understand that we are an actor in the region, not only the member states but the EU is also an actor in the Mediterranean and Middle East”. On the question of migrants crossing the Mediterranean, the Italian politician explained that the EU had, “a moral and humanitarian duty that even surpassed its political and institutional duty”.
As we went to press, the decision concerning Mogherini had still not been made public. At the end of the hearing, during which she was applauded, the president of the foreign affairs committee, Elmar Brok, stressed that he had felt a “positive atmosphere” and that he was quite confident about the result. According to one European source, “the evaluation of the hearing on most of the questions is positive”. (CG and JK)