The European Commission has been criticized by top MEPs for allegedly funding oppressive leaders. They claim that the €150m provided to Tunisia in a migration and development agreement last year has ultimately benefited the country’s president.
A group of members of the European Parliament, who serve on the committees for human rights, justice, and foreign affairs, strongly criticized the government in Brussels. They expressed concern over rumors that Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was close to finalizing a similar agreement with Egypt.
On Wednesday evening, the Minister of Migration of Greece, Dimitris Kairidis, affirmed that a declaration had been reached between the European Union and Egypt. The official announcement will take place on Sunday during a visit to Cairo by von der Leyen and the leaders of Greece, Italy, and Belgium.
The deal involves Egypt receiving a €7.4bn (£6.3bn) aid package, primarily in the form of loans. In exchange, the country has agreed to increase efforts in managing migration. The Guardian reported that the speaker stated, “I have consistently urged my colleagues to provide support to Egypt, which has been instrumental in handling migration and plays a crucial role in maintaining stability in North Africa and the wider Middle East.”
Kairidis met with the Egyptian ambassador to Greece on Wednesday and verified that there have not been any boats leaving from Egypt. However, there has been a significant increase in the arrivals of migrants traveling through Libya to southern Greek islands this year. Kairidis stated that Egypt not only houses 9 million refugees, but they have also successfully implemented measures to prevent illegal migration.
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have made allegations against the commission for failing to provide responses to inquiries regarding the agreement with Tunisia. They are concerned that the commission may be pursuing a series of impromptu agreements with other African nations without considering the state of democracy and rule of law in those nations.
“Il semble que nous finançons des dictateurs à travers la région. Et ce n’est pas l’Europe que nous voulons voir. Ce n’est pas la position que l’UE devrait occuper dans le monde”, a déclaré le député français Mounir Satouri, membre de la commission des affaires étrangères au parlement.
During a conference in Strasbourg, he asserted that the funds, promised to Tunisia in the previous year as a component of a larger agreement to decrease the influx of migration to Italy and illegal trafficking of people, had been misused. He stated that the designated €150 million was meant to be directly invested in a project agreed upon by the EU, but instead, it was transferred directly to the president.
Other Members of the European Parliament remarked that there had been a notable change towards authoritarianism in Tunisia by its president, Kais Saied. Despite this, the commissioners proceeded with the agreement.
A representative from the EU commission stated that while members of the European Parliament have the right to voice their opinions, it is more beneficial to form alliances in order to enhance democracy and protect human rights, rather than severing ties and causing a decline in conditions.
“We firmly believe in the importance of collaborating with neighboring countries, while acknowledging the existing conditions,” the spokesperson stated. “We are aware of the concerns raised regarding human rights in these nations, and it is essential that we continue to address and discuss these matters with them.”
The representative stated that there are established protocols for addressing human rights issues with countries in the region, such as Egypt.
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According to Karen Melchior, a Danish MEP who leads the justice committee, parliament members’ worries about the Tunisia agreement are constantly being disregarded. She also stated that commissioners were unresponsive to their inquiries and failed to take their concerns seriously.
“How can we uphold a memorandum of understanding and provide Tunisia with unconditional budget support while the situation continues to worsen?” she inquired.
“The EU should not be signing agreements with President Saied, who is actively suppressing opposition and democracy in Tunisia. This goes against the principles of how Team Europe conducts foreign policy.”
Udo Bullman, the head of the human rights committee, criticized a “secret” agreement that was hastily approved.
“The commission has to explain why there was so much urgency in the agreement of last summer – why it, hush-hush, very quickly before Christmas, [said] it was of the ‘highest urgency’ and just gave the money … without any critical debate,” he said, adding this was a question for the EU’s commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, and for von der Leyen.
The local government of Tunisia prevented German CDU MEP Michael Gahler from visiting the country last year. Gahler expressed concern that the Tunisian people should not be left unsupported in the midst of “Saied’s oppressive leadership” and deteriorating economy.
“We must ensure that the use of European taxpayers’ money directly benefits the people and civil society of Tunisia, and it should be evident that any financial assistance from Europe is subject to appropriate conditions to serve this purpose,” he stated.
There are growing concerns being raised this week as the current five-year term of the EU parliament comes to an end before the upcoming June elections. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are determined to establish clear boundaries for any future agreements the Brussels executive may pursue.
Sara Prestianni, the director of advocacy at the non-governmental organization EuroMed Rights, expressed worry over the possibility that the EU may repeat a “strategic and political” error with Cairo by committing large sums of money without implementing sufficient oversight and guarantees for human rights. She stated that it would be a mistake, especially if the same approach is taken with Egypt.
“According to Satouri, who serves as the parliament’s special rapporteur for Egypt, it is essential that democratic protocols be adhered to before the distribution of funds. It is important to note that these funds belong to the European Union, not Commissioner Várhelyi’s personal funds.”
Source: theguardian.com
