Economy
Marietta Giannakou: A common EU approach to Syria could have made a difference
Should EU countries work together more on defence matters? On 11 September, MEPs will debate a report recommending closer co-operation on security issues and vote on it the following day. European Parliament News spoke to report author Marietta Giannakou (pictured) about how a common security and defence polity for the EU could have made a difference for situations such as Syria.
In view of the Syrian crisis, do you think it would have been different if the EU had sufficient capacity to act?
Yes, because it is different to have a reaction from the whole Union instead of having for example France who said they would participate right away. It would be more organised and be more respected by the Americans. We have to work together.
It’s very difficult to say what will happen in Syria now. They cannot attack from outside Syria without being implicated on the ground. Syria is not Kosovo. I’m not in favour of this attack and they have to think twice before they do that. They have to try and try again to find a political solution.
Why are member states so hesitant to work together on security and defence?
Some governments are afraid that this would be something against Nato. Also some of the new member states think that the US is their main point of security for the world. All this is not serious, because we have the experience of working together for so many years. Who would have believed right after the Second World War that the Europeans, the French and the German, could work together in every field? But now it is necessary. The international crisis, the crisis in the Middle East, needs Europe.
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