New York Times | Britain and the EU Are Breaking Up, but They're Still Partying Together New York Times The British Embassy participated in European Union Day on Saturday, an annual celebration in the spring in Washington. Credit Justin T. Gellerson for The New ... |
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Britain and the EU Are Breaking Up, but They're Still Partying Together - New York Times
Federica Mogherini, who is also the EUs foreign affairs chief, said Brussels had both the hard and soft power needed to accomplish the task.
Speaking at the Lennard Meri Conference, Estonia, she said: There is a European way to security that is never purely and only military.
You take any crisis or security threat in the world of today, and you realise that the hard power, the military means are always necessary but never enough.
The European Union has this unique mix of hard power that needs to be increased because its not enough, what we have now, but we have at the same time the soft power.
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And this unique mix if we manage to increase our hard power, position ourselves in a place that can be very helpful for our partners in the world to tackle some security issues.
Ms Mogherini said if the bloc had the political courage to take on the role, it could become an institution thatprovides worldwidesecurity.
She continued: The world is complex and there is not one single instrument that will make it.
So I think that the work we have ahead of us is huge but we have, if we are self-confident and we take the political courage to use the potential we have, we could be indeed the security provider for European regions, and more largely the world, needs in partnership.
The EU foreign affairs chief also took aim at Brexit as she accused Theresa May of being slow after taking more than nine months to begin the formal negotiation period.
The European Union has this unique mix of hard power that needs to be increased
Federica Mogherini
Ms Mogherini said: We underestimate the power we have, and underestimating or downplaying it we hurt ourselves. I think the main challenge Europeans have, when it comes to their role in the world, is a lack of self-confidence.
You ask me if it is still possible to have a foreign policy without the UK? Sure, I think the UK will face many more problems than us after the Brexit.
The very same fact that it has taken them more than nine months to start negotiations after the results of the referendum tells you it is much more complicated than they calculated.
Last month a former UK ambassador to NATO said that crumbling security across Europe means the continent is closer to war than it has been in decades.
Sir Adam Thomson, who is now Director of the European Leadership Network, said the risk of an armed conflict breaking out was at the highest point in decades, as tensions between Nato and Russia are rising, as well nationalism and populism coming to the fore across European nations.
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Jean-Claude Juncker jokes and gives Margaritis Schinas a slap before the weekly college meeting of the European Commission
He said: Security right across Europe is eroding right now, I would say war is a higher risk than it has been in decades. Thats Ukraine, but also the western Balkans, its the Nato-Russia confrontation, it is rising populism and nationalism.
Sir Adam added the UK leaving the EU would not necessarily have a larger impact on the alliance unless the negotiations turned sour.
He added: It doesnt necessarily damage Nato at all, the greatest damage to Nato would be if the security relationships erode and worsened because of Brexit.
The security relationship for post-Brexit Britain with the EU is too important, its not so much a card to be played in Brexit negotiations as an area to be protected from the more toxic areas of the negotiation.
Members of the European Parliment visited Africa yesterday in an attempt to expand and export its "prosperous open-border model".
During the meeting, European Parliamentarians held talks with their Pan African counterparts in Midrand, South Africa.
In a shock development, the African Union (AU) agreed plans to introduce a single passport modelled on the EU's Schengen area, which permits free movement of people.
The deal will see the European project, which has come under growing domestic criticism, become a global initiative.
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Sceptics argue that this deal would encourage militant groups such as Boko Haram and exacerbate public health crises.
Powers in Brussels have long tried to spread its borderless model beyond the European continent.
The Schengen zone has abolished internal borders to enable passport-free movement across the EU bloc.
AU leaders announced that, with the help of the EU, they plan on turning the continent into one of "seamless borders".
They want to abolish the need for Africans visiting African countries to require a visa by 2018, as well as agree on a free trade deal across the continent.
Michael Gahler, a German politician and member of the European Parliament, told SABC: "We have experience of working together, trading together, making policies together.
"Having open borders has brought us prosperity and jobs. We will try to encourage and push Africa to act together."
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Open borders has brought the EU prosperity and jobs
Michael Gahler
EU High Representative Federica Mogherini added: "Every obstacle we may face is a common challenge, and Africa's hope is our hope.
"A strong Africa matters to Europe; our friendship matters to our people.
"Only by joining forces and working in partnership can we provide our youth with a more hopeful and peaceful future.
"Today, we don't simply look at what we can do for Africa but what we can do with Africa, together."
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An AU spokesman told SABC: "The specific aim of the passport is facilitating free movement of persons, goods and services around the continent in order to foster intra-Africa trade, integration and socio-economic development."
Chairperson of the AU, Dr Nkosazana Dlaimini Zuma, said the innovation was a steady step toward the objective of creating a strong, prosperous and integrated Africa, driven by its own citizens.
Dr Zuma added: "It is up to all of us to hold our countries to that decision so that indeed Africans can move freely among other African countries."
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Brussels tries to export European Union's open-border model to Africa - Express.co.uk
High Representative / Vice-President Federica Mogherini who represented the EU at today's conference in London said: "Somalia's future matters to Europe and our support matters to Somalia. The 200 million we have announced today strengthens the EU's leading role in supporting the country's development, stability and security. We already play a major role for peace in the country through the three active missions in the country as well as our support to the African Union peacekeeping mission AMISOM. We believe that the people of Somalia can and should shape the future of their country. We want Somalia to rise again and today we demonstrate it in very practical terms."
The development funding announced today will be channelled through the European Union Trust Fund for Africa, which aims to address the root causes of destabilization, forced displacement and irregular migration.
Neven Mimica, Commissioner in charge of International Cooperation and Development, added: "Today's support package of 200 million is new and additional to what we already do in Somalia. It will focus on building effective and sustainable responses to security challenges, on creating economic opportunities and on building state legitimacy and democratic governance. We are also concerned by the severe drought in Somalia and the humanitarian challenges this brings. Together with EU Member States, we have already allocated than 460 million humanitarian and development assistance for that purpose. We call on other partners to stand up to the level of the challenge as well."
The EU's support will help to accelerate Somalia's economic recovery. This will be done by supporting the reforms needed to ensure Somalia full re-engagement with the International Financial Institutions, access to multilateral finance and debt relief. This will also help laying the foundations for more inclusive, stable politics including a roadmap to a more inclusive electoral process in 2020.
The EU is a long standing partner to Somalia in development aid, peacekeeping operations and humanitarian aid. For the period 2015-2020, the EU and its Member States cooperation including development, humanitarian aid and peacekeeping operations amounts to 3.4 billion.
Background:
The Somalia Conference took place today in London, co-chaired by the Federal Government of Somalia, the United Nations and the United Kingdom. The Conference aims to agree a Security Pact which sets the foundations for Somalia long-term security and on a New Partnership for Somalia between the International Community and Somalia based on principles of mutual accountability. The Conference is also the opportunity to take stock of the response to the humanitarian crisis affecting Somalia.
Today's support package comes on top of the 286 million, which the European Commission has allocated under the 11th European Development Fund (for the period 2014-2020), which focusses on strengthening state functions, improving food security and resilience as well as education for young people. EU financing is implemented mostly through grants implemented by UN agencies and international NGOs, or contributions to Trust Funds.
For more information:
Factsheet: EU support for Somalia
New York Times | Emmanuel Macron Embraces EU to Put France 'Back in the Picture' New York Times For the past year, and longer, the European Union has been politically radioactive, deemed untouchable by most mainstream candidates for national office in Europe. Yet Mr. Macron, 39, not only embraced the embattled bloc, he proclaimed membership of it ... Macron's victory buoys the European Union after a string of setbacks Will Emmanuel Macron save the European Union? What Macron's Victory in France Means for the European Union |
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Emmanuel Macron Embraces EU to Put France 'Back in the Picture' - New York Times