Senior Members of the European Parliament have accused the European Commission of funding dictators. They allege that the €150m provided to Tunisia in a migration and development agreement last year has ultimately benefited the country’s president.
A coalition of European Parliament members from committees focused on human rights, justice, and foreign affairs strongly criticized the executive branch in Brussels. They expressed concern about rumors that the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, was on the verge of finalizing a similar agreement with Egypt.
On Wednesday evening, Greek Minister of Migration Dimitris Kairidis confirmed that a statement having been agreed upon by the EU and Egypt would be officially announced during the Cairo visit of von der Leyen, as well as the leaders of Greece, Italy, and Belgium, on Sunday.
Egypt will receive an aid package totaling €7.4bn (£6.3bn), mostly in loans, in exchange for their commitment to put more effort into handling migration, as stated by a spokesperson to the Guardian. They also emphasized the importance of supporting Egypt, who has been instrumental in managing migration and maintaining stability in North Africa and the broader Middle East.
Mr. Kairidis, who had a meeting with the Egyptian ambassador to Greece on Wednesday, confirmed that there were no boats departing directly from Egypt. He also noted that while there has been a significant increase in the number of migrants arriving on southern Greek islands who traveled through Libya this year, Egypt has been successful in managing illegal migration because it is currently home to 9 million refugees.
The Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have criticized the commission for not responding to inquiries about the agreement with Tunisia and express concern about its potential establishment of arbitrary agreements with other African nations, disregarding the state of democracy and adherence to laws in those nations.
According to French Member of the European Parliament Mounir Satouri, a member of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, it appears that we are financially supporting authoritarian leaders in the surrounding areas. This goes against the vision of Europe that we aim to have and the role that the EU should hold in the global community.
During a media briefing in Strasbourg, he asserted that the funds promised to Tunisia last year as part of a larger agreement to reduce the influx of migration to Italy and combat human trafficking had been misused. He stated that the allocated €150 million should have been invested in an EU-approved project, but it was redirected to the president instead.
Other Members of the European Parliament stated that Tunisia has experienced an increase in authoritarianism under the leadership of President Kais Saied, yet the commissioners proceeded with the agreement regardless.
According to a representative from the EU commission, members of the European Parliament have the right to share their opinions. However, it is more beneficial to establish partnerships in order to enhance democracy and protect human rights, rather than severing relationships and causing further decline in the situation.
The spokesperson stated that they strongly believe in the importance of collaborating with neighboring countries while considering the current circumstances. They are aware of criticisms regarding human rights in these countries and acknowledge that addressing these issues is a priority in their interactions with them.
The spokesperson mentioned that there are protocols in place to address human rights with the countries in the region, such as Egypt.
Karen Melchior, a Danish Member of the European Parliament and head of the justice committee, expressed frustration over parliamentarians’ concerns regarding the Tunisia deal being disregarded by commissioners who refused to address their inquiries or take their worries seriously.
She inquired, “How can we maintain a memorandum of understanding and provide budget support to Tunisia without any conditions, when the situation continues to deteriorate?”
“The EU should not be signing an agreement with President Saied, as his actions continue to undermine opposition and democracy in Tunisia. This goes against the approach that Team Europe should take in shaping our foreign policy.”
Udo Bullman, the chair of the human rights committee, criticized what he claimed was a secret and hastily made agreement.
The commission needs to clarify the reason for the rushed agreement last summer, which was done discreetly and hastily before Christmas. This agreement was considered to be of utmost importance and the funds were given without any thorough discussion. These concerns should be addressed by the EU’s commissioner for neighbourhood and enlargement, Olivér Várhelyi, as well as by von der Leyen.
German CDU Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Michael Gahler, was prevented from traveling to Tunisia by the local government in 2020. He expressed concern for the people of Tunisia in light of President Saied’s autocratic leadership and the country’s economic decline.
We must ensure that European taxpayer funds are truly beneficial to the Tunisian citizens and civil society. It is important for European funding to Tunisia to have clear guidelines and conditions in order to achieve this goal.
This week marks the conclusion of the five-year term for the EU parliament before the June elections. MEPs are speaking out to establish boundaries for potential future agreements that the executive branch in Brussels plans to make.
Sara Prestianni, the advocacy director of EuroMed Rights, expressed apprehension about the EU potentially repeating a “strategic and political” blunder in Cairo by committing significant funds without ensuring adequate financial supervision or human rights protection. She warned against replicating the Tunisia agreement with Egypt, stating that it would be a mistake.
According to Satouri, who serves as the parliament’s special representative for Egypt, it is crucial that we adhere to democratic processes before allocating funds. He stated that Commissioner Várhelyi does not have exclusive control over these funds, as they belong to Europe.
Source: theguardian.com
