Eu: international crisis highlight the numerous internal fragilities

It is rather clear how recent events keep destabilizing the global chess table in a worrying way, generating a domino effect able to break world orders’ fragile equilibrium.

The conflict exacerbated after Hamas’ attack to Israel, for example, ignites the Middle East, risking breaching the area’s stability, which other international actors tried to rebuild after tumultuous years.

As an example, remember the American attempt to make Saudi Arabia and Israel closer, which according to media seems freezed right now[1]. Also the sought reconciliation between the Us and Iran, that was about to climax with thawing of some Iranian assets, during negotiations for the liberation of some hostages – this also destined to sink[2].

If situation seems to rapidly escalate, it is also important for international actors to find new views to tackle the crisis energetically – a perspective now missing in the European Union, whose doubts seem to be even more clear.

Some rather recent examples are the worried words of Josep Borrell after the American Congress announced a suspension of aids to Ukraine. Strong worries were that the weight of aids to Ukraine was now completely in the hands of the Eu[3]. Declaration, partly agreeable, but that surely sounded demeaning, in particular screeching with last 18 months’ speeches.

This rather fragile take was lately followed by political choices equally ambiguous, starting from the extreme caution expressed during military operations in Nagorno-Karabakh. On this, the attentive humanitarian point of view was not followed by a clear and common political take, as some members of the European Parliament suggested[4].

The situation became more problematic for the system since Hamas’ attack and Israel’s response, that caused the most discordant and chaotic strategy in the European institutions, starting from the debate on funds allocation to Palestine, where the Commission retract after a few hours[5].

A similar behavior occurred after the military intervention’s launch and Commission’s President Ursula Von der Leyer’s take. The President firstly did not avoid affirming her approval for the military action and the decision to evacuate Gaza[6].

After 48 hours this take faded, as proven by public speeches at the summit in Tirana during Berlin process, where worries on humanitarian and military consequences brought a more cautious view[7].

Signals emerging are quite worrying, above all regarding the ignition of international relationships, where Eu’s fragility and fragmentation seem to be the main threat to internal stability.

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[1] https://www.ansa.it/sito/notizie/topnews/2023/10/13/media-riad-congela-laccordo-con-israele_c5da3b96-782f-4f4d-9120-0b8d32aa7690.html

[2] https://formiche.net/2023/10/usa-qatar-fondi-congelati-israele-hamas/

[3] https://it.euronews.com/2023/10/02/stop-stati-uniti-armi-ucraina-europa-borrell

[4] https://www.politico.eu/article/european-parliament-condemns-azerbaijan-eu-over-nagorno-karabakh-attack/

[5] https://www.open.online/2023/10/09/unione-europea-fondi-palestina-josep-borrell/

[6] https://www.eunews.it/2023/10/13/commissione-europea-israele-evacuare-gaza/

[7] https://www.rainews.it/maratona/2023/10/gaza-un-milione-di-profughi-b3b51bea-a53e-41e5-ba2d-1c0aa44f71a8.html