European Foreign Ministers will discuss, on Thursday 31 January, at their informal meeting in Bucharest, the opportunity for the European Union to recognise the President of the National Assembly, Juan Guaidó, as the legitimate President of Venezuela, if the Maduro regime does not respond to the request of the Twenty-eight to quickly announce the holding of new elections in the country.
"The status quo is not tenable... We believe urgent action is needed", said a European Commission spokesperson, Maja Kocijancic, on Monday 28 January, confirming the holding of these ministerial discussions.
As long as the army supports the regime, it is unlikely that Nicolás Maduro, who in January began a second presidential term considered illegitimate by the EU, will call new elections, despite popular protest and external diplomatic pressure.
On Saturday, in a statement on behalf of the Twenty-eight, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Federica Mogherini, warned the Venezuelan authorities that in the absence of the announcement, "in the coming days", of credible elections in Venezuela, "further steps will be taken, including on the issue of recognizing the country's leadership in line with Article 233 of the Venezuelan Constitution".
This article provides in particular that the Venezuelan President may be dismissed from office on the basis of a declaration of resignation by the National Parliament.
Mrs Kocijancic did not see any incompatibilities between this declaration and those of several countries - Germany, Spain, France, United Kingdom - which set an eight-day deadline for the holding of elections to be announced, failing which Mr Guaidó would be recognised as their legitimate interlocutor (see EUROPE 12180).
The Twenty-eight, who recognise the National Assembly as the only entity democratically representative of the Venezuelan people, maintain their idea of setting up an international contact group to facilitate dialogue between the Maduro regime and the political opposition.
The European Parliament, whose President Antonio Tajani has already asked Mr Maduro to leave, will adopt a resolution on Thursday on the situation in Venezuela (see EUROPE 11789). (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)