The presidents of the European Parliament’s political groups deplored the situation in the Syrian city of Aleppo in a discussion with a delegate from the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU, Ivan Korcok, and the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, on Wednesday 14 December. Some of the presidents criticised the lack of activity by the Council on this issue.
The head of the ALDE, Belgium’s Guy Verhofstadt, and Germany’s Ska Keller, newly elected head of the Greens/EFA, were particularly critical about the member states’ lack of action. Verhofstadt hammered home that the situation in Aleppo had degenerated because of the member states’ refusal to mobilise. He urged the member states to impose a ceasefire, create a humanitarian corridor in the east of the city to evacuate citizens and to get all sides around the negotiating table to find a solution to the Syrian crisis. Verhofstadt added that if no negotiations were possible, then new sanctions should be issued against Russia, Bachar el-Assad’s regime and Iran. Keller wondered what the member states would do, given the choice of either sitting around twiddling their thumbs or actually taking action. She criticised member states’ doublespeak, denouncing the situation in Syria but dragging their feet when it comes to accepting and integrating Syrian refugees.
Juncker called on the belligerents to show some humanity. He said that despite recent events, the situation is serious, with reports of massacres and children trapped in collapsing buildings. He called on all parties in the war to look beyond the shadows of war, at least for a moment, and remember their humanity and allow civilians, women and children to safely leave this city in ruins.
In a debate the day before on the 2015 annual EU report on human rights (see other article), EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini spoke a similar language, saying that the priority was to protect civilians, guarantee them safe and monitored transit to a safe place. She joined the UN Secretary General’s reminder of all parties of their duty to protect civilians and respect international humanitarian law and human rights and his reminder that this responsibility fell in particular on the Syrian government and its allies. She said those responsible for war crimes would be held accountable. The EU says the immediate evacuation of the sick and wounded and unhindered access for humanitarian aid were the priorities, with pre-positioned humanitarian aid only a few miles away (EUROPE 11687).
New arrivals and refugees. The question of refugees was on many lips. The president of the S&D, Italy’s Gianni Pittella, in campaign to become Parliament president, was irritated at the member states’ failure to take action to help his country. On the question of Turkey, the president of the EPP, Manfred Weber, cautiously said that a frank dialogue was needed with Recep Erdoğan’s regime. Keller and the GUE/NGL’s candidate for the presidency, Eleonora Forenza (Italy), openly opposed the agreement signed with Turkey. The GUE/NGL’s candidate warned of the danger of watering down the EU’s asylum rules. Syed Kamall, president of the ECR, called for a reorientation of the EU’s migration policy and greater support for local initiatives, particularly at town and city level.
Defence Union. Another subject discussed by the MEPs was Defence Union. Guy Verhofstadt was the most loquacious in this regard, calling for the EU to steer all national initiatives taken unilaterally by one member state with another. Keller said it would be better to focus European investment on social justice, pointing out that the military industrial sector was doing fine. Nigel Farage, co-president of the ELDD denounced militarisation of the EU and the dangers of the emergence of a military structure in parallel that that of NATO.
Brexit. Wearing his hat as Parliament's representative in the Brexit talks, Verhofstadt reminded the Council that it had to get MEPs involved in the negotiating process and that Parliament had to give its approval of the results of the negotiations. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens and Aminata Niang)