European. Ukraine, Gaza, EU Army: voting between war and peace
Here is how the European political groups (and therefore the Italian ones) position themselves with respect to the ongoing conflicts and the common defense plan
ROME – It was 2014 when Pope Francis for the first time used the expression “piecemeal third world war”, to indicate the imminent risk of slipping into a new generalized conflict. Ten years have passed since then and the term is back in use to describe one of the main challenges to which the new European legislature, which will see the light on Monday 10 June, will be called upon to respond. Although international organizations such as Oxfam highlight that there are currently around a hundred conflicts in the world, the seven major political groups that will divide the seats in the European Parliament are organizing their electoral programs for the 6-9 June vote essentially around two wars: the Russian-Ukrainian one and the one between Israel and Hamas (however, the exception is Identity and democracy, of which the League is a part, which has not adopted a common manifesto).
Read also: https://www.dire.it/europee-dal-pd-a-fratelli-ditalia-con-chi-si-alleano-i-partiti-italiani-in- ue/
THE EUROPEAN GROUPS ARE WITH UKRAINE
As for the first, there is no doubt that the parties unanimously reiterate “Europe stands with Ukraine”, which is often followed by the statement “against Putin”. , starting from the main groups of the last legislature of the Eurochamber: the centre-right liberal-conservatives of the European People’s Party (EPP), with which Forza Italia runs, and theSocialists and Democrats (S& D)of the centre-left, which attract our Democratic Party, both convinced that the EU must guarantee weapons in a “sustainable and long-term” way, which would be added to the 35 billion euros that Brussels has granted to Kiev since February 2022. Further to the right of the EPP, the Conservatives and Reformists (Ecr) – of Giorgia Meloni and Fratelli d’Italia – recall having supported Kiev from the “Euromaidan” revolts and against the annexation of Crimea in 2014, and go so far as to promise aid also to the peoples of the region “who fear oppression”, such as “Belarus”, “Moldova” and “Georgia”. The centrist Renew Europe (which Action! and the United States of Europe like), like Ecr, calls for stronger sanctions against Moscow, and they do not back down from “full military support to Kiev” not even the Greens – European Free Alliance (Greens/ALE), which the Greens and Left Alliance looks to, denouncing the crime of “ecocide” that the conflict is generating in the country and invoking the Kiev’s accession to the EU. However, the European Left (GUE/NGL) does not address the topic in its common manifesto.
ISRAEL AND GAZA, A WAR FIGHTED ALSO ON WORDS
The issue in the Middle East is decidedly more divisive: although everyone agrees with the urgency of pacifying the region, the parties use different words to position themselves with respect to the war that Israel has started in the Gaza Strip in response to theHamas attack last October 7, in which 1,200 Israelis died.June 7, with polls already open in some EU states, marks the eighth month since the beginning of the operation which caused almost 37 thousand Palestinian victims. This time Gue’s Left takes a clear stand, invoking the need for a State of Palestine which, due to the government of Tel Aviv, today “suffers occupation”, “genocide” and “apartheid”.
These are terms that do not occur in the other programs: the EPP and the ECR do not even mention Gaza, limiting themselves to condemning “the hateful terrorist attack by Hamas”. Renew Europe does so too, but also blames “the loss of human lives” in the Strip. S&D supports “Israel’s right to defend itself” while condemning the “humanitarian massacre” in Gaza and calls for Europe’s role “in supporting the parties to return to the peace process “. Finally, the Greens, recalling that they supported the appeal for a ceasefire in the European Parliament, call for an active role for the EU as an actor of peace and rights in the Middle East so that a two-way solution can be reached States and at the same time support the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice, the former working to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, while the latter examines a complaint against Israel for the alleged genocide he committed against the Palestinian population.
< strong>THE EU ARMY: BETWEEN FOR AND AGAINST, IN THE MIDDLE WE REMEMBER EUROPE’S ROLE AS MEDIATOR
More generally, the dimension of the war on Europe’s doorstep leads to the debate on the proposal of a common European army, another issue that splits European families. Since the Russian aggression against Ukraine in February 2022, member states have been discussing how to implement that assumption of greater responsibilities” enshrined in the Versailles Declaration. The most significant step was taken last March 6, when the Commission adopted a plan – along the lines of the one for the development of anti-Covid vaccines and medicines during the pandemic – to produce up to 40% of armaments “collaboratively”, and to mobilize 1.5 billion euros for the sector.” Europe must be able to defend itself” is the slogan that dominates the homepage of the website of the European People’s Party, the biggest supporters of the project, who in the manifesto ask that “every effort for defense be integrated into NATO” through “close collaboration with the United Kingdom and Norway” to promote “deterrence and security”. Ursula von der Leyen, who during her mandate was among the promoters of a common force, anticipated that, if relett,a will propose the Commissioner of Defense.
Decisive supporters of the European Defense Union are also the centrists of Renew Europe, while the right of the Conservatives and reformists are less convinced, who – in line with the sovereignist line – suggest finding investments for research and industry of weapons and technological equipment to strengthen the armies of the individual member countries. The Socialists and Democrats are halfway there: they do not speak of an “EU army,” but call for more cooperation with NATO and “a more integrated internal defense market”, while inviting the EU not to give up its role as mediator in conflicts, nor the fight to ban nuclear weapons nor the need to ban the sale of weapons to those countries that violate human rights, in line with the European Code of Conduct on exports of armaments. The Greens have a similar approach and, while supporting cooperation in the military sphere, recall that common security is achieved first of all with strong civil societies and long-term strategies that prevent crises. A stronger “European external foreign policy and security service” is therefore called for. This time too, the European Left is at the extreme end of the debate, opposed to the arms race: to respond to the current crises it proposes peace “which opposes the war-mongering trend”, and the reduction of the GDP destined from the 27 member states to the purchase of armaments.