XL - Eiropas Parlaments - Europa

104 16-02-2011
Volviendo a la intervención del señor Comisario, me gustaría decir que, después de las vacilaciones iniciales y después de
algunos problemas de imagen de la Unión Europea, parece que las cosas se están encarrilando. La señora Ashton está en la
región y lo que nos propone el señor Füle tiene mucho sentido.
En primer lugar, apoyar firme y decididamente el proceso de transición democrática y las reformas políticas en estos
países. Y, en segundo lugar, proceder a una revisión crítica de la política europea de vecindad potenciando de una manera
mayor la cláusula democrática.
Hemos escuchado hoy, en la Mesa ampliada, al Ministro de Asuntos Exteriores de Polonia, próxima Presidencia en
ejercicio de la Unión, y su iniciativa de crear una fundación polaca para el tema de la democracia y los derechos humanos,
que podría ser también extensible al conjunto de la Unión Europea.
Señora Presidenta, la Unión Europea ha movilizado cantidades importantes de recursos en su política euromediterránea
con magros resultados. La imagen de la Unión Europea se ha resentido en este conflicto más aún que la de otros actores
internacionales. Sin embargo, la demanda de la Unión Europea permanece intacta.
Quisiera decir, señora Presidenta, que es una buena ocasión para subrayar que la Unión Europea comprende, de una vez
por todas, que hoy la Historia se conjuga en presente y que en este presente histórico que nos ha tocado vivir tenemos que
jugar como un actor global y hacer los deberes necesarios, o tendremos que resignarnos, señora Presidenta, a no jugar en la
escena internacional con arreglo al papel que queremos mantener y tendremos que limitarnos, como hasta ahora, a pagar la
cuenta de los grandes problemas planetarios.
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Adrian Severin, on behalf of the S&D Group. – Madam President, for years the Euro-Atlantic players thought that Islam
could not possibly produce democratic behaviour and institutions. Therefore, they opted for either supporting authoritarian
regimes or mechanically transferring the Western model of democracy to the Arab countries. Not only did both strategies
fail, but they are responsible for the emergence of Islamic fundamentalists and the alienation of secular parts of the civil
society.
The present events in Egypt prove that Islam need not only be fundamentalist, but that it can also be democratic if we
accept that democracy may have a variable geometry, and if we let it grow naturally from its specific soil. At the same
time, we must admit that the popular uprising was on one hand the result of the evolution of Egyptian elites in the cyber or
internet society, and on the other hand the consequence of the existential hardships brought on by the global economic
crisis. If the European Union does not immediately and consistently address the need to overcome these hardships, the
revolution might move towards anarchy; and from there towards another dictatorship.
Finally, we must not only applaud the fact that no Israeli flags were burnt during the recent events in Egypt, but also
observe that the lack of a long-due solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is at the origin of the feeling of failure which
upset Arab society and fuelled its neurosis. Therefore, the European Union should immediately take the initiative in order
to use the transformation in Egypt – which today is a mere hope – and turn it into a real opportunity for internal democracy
and regional peace.
In this context, the trips of the High Representative/Vice-President to the region, and her readiness to adapt and upgrade
the necessary European instruments to cope with the challenges, are good news. Her action must be supported by all of us.
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Guy Verhofstadt, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Madam President, Mr Cohn-Bendit and myself we were very critical
of Baroness Ashton two weeks ago, and I see that Mr Severin has adapted his language slightly and is speaking more
boldly. This intervention was absolutely necessary two weeks ago because the European Union had taken a wishy-washy
attitude.
It is clear that the situation in Egypt demands three things: first of all, the Commission has to come forward with a credible
and global plan for Tunisia and for Egypt – how to strengthen civil society, what to do to fight corruption, how to help in
building democratic institutions, how to create an independent justice system and how to help economic construction and
development. These are questions not of millions, Commissioner, but of billions. I think you will have to come forward as
fast as possible with a global plan.
Secondly, yesterday our group had a videoconference with Dr Ayman Nour, one of the leading opposition leaders in
Egypt, and there are a number of concerns. In all this debate in Egypt on the change of the constitution, I can tell you that
the secular democratic political parties are not involved for the moment and that is a message to give. Secondly, to deal
with this in two months and to organise elections in two months is a non-starter, because it means that we will not have
normal political parties there participating in this. Then there is the whole question of the proportional representation or an
individual representation system there.