Brussels, 02/08/2006 (Agence Europe) - In an interview published in “Le Soir” on 2 August focusing on the conflict in the Lebanon, Louis Michel the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, explained, “There are twenty-five of us and we have to find a compromise among the twenty-five. Do we want the lowest common denominator with twenty-five different bilateral policies and total disorder?” The Commissioner added that they needed to “get an agreement among the twenty-five on the highest common denominator” even if sometimes, this highest common denominator is “very small”. At the same time Mr Michel said that he was proud to point out that when “funding was involved, Europe is the biggest donor. Europe has given $123 million to Lebanon”. This is enormous” (EUROPE 9244 on the EU's Extraordinary Council).
Speaking about the Israeli offensive in Lebanon, Mr Michel explained, “the fact that Israel wants to reduce the influence of Hezbollah, its military capability and capacity to inflict damage, is legitimate. Did it need to hit so extremely hard, which has impacted on innocent civilians?...I really hope that Israel which is a democracy, becomes aware of the fact that a democracy cannot do everything it wants. Israel is currently and lastingly upsetting the feelings and view points of its best allies”.