Brussels, 05/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - During a conference entitled “Europe, a Quiet Power” organised by the IRRI (Royal Institute for International Relations) and GRIP (Groupe de recherche et d'information sur la paix et la sécurité), various speakers from the political and academic worlds took the floor on Thursday 4 May to give their vision of the EU's role as an international player. Zaki Laïdi, Professor in Political Sciences, explained that the EU's difficulty in expressing its views as a power comes from the fact that it is not a State. It can only make itself felt on the international scene by introducing a form of governance according to the norm, whereas the logic of other powers such as China and India continues to lie in world governance exerted by the States. Describing this gestating power as “quiet” already makes no sense for EU partners within the WTO as, Zaki Laïdi recalls, Europe has interests as well as values to defend. In his view, however, the EU cannot be a “hard power” because it is not the ultimate security guarantor.
The director-general for external and politico-military affairs at the EU Council Secretariat, Robert Cooper, began his address by stressing that, given the current situation in Europe, the best book to read is “The Prince”, written by Machiavelli at a time when Italy, confronted by various European powers, was still to achieve unification. While recognising that “force is less effective than it was” (citing Iraq as an example), Robert Cooper stressed that “in a crisis, force is needed”. Such force which could contribute to a rise in Europe's power is not really to Moscow's liking. This, at least, is what the former ambassador for the Soviet Union and the Federation of Russia at the EU, Vladimir Shemiatenkov, hinted, asserting that the EU is currently a “quiet power” which is greatly appreciated in Russia, and that that is therefore how it should remain.
At the end of the first day's work, the Belgian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs also noted that “quiet” is a reassuring attribute. Didier Donfut said “Europe is a young area of democracy that is moving forward step by step” and which will have to “consolidate its diplomatic strength, mainly with a service for external action”. The EU must also have the ability to defend its economic and social model, he said. Does the EU need a military force? “This is not an EU philosophy”, Didier Donfut answered to this question, adding that, when confronted by a crisis, there will always be other partners in the world that will want to “rise at the same time as ourselves”. He said: “An autonomous military force would complicate matters”.