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German alarm at
Nicolas Sarkozy's plans peace for Mediterranean union
ISRAELI and Arab soldiers
are being summoned to march through Paris this summer to celebrate the launch
of a “Union for the Mediterranean” to settle regional woes.
France is inviting all the
countries around the Mediterranean rim, including Libya, Syria and Israel, to a
European Union summit in Paris on July 13 and they are expected to take part in
a “Euro-Mediterranean Bastille Day” military parade with European troops the
next day, according to Henri Guaino, one of the closest advisers to the French
president, Nicolas Sarkozy.
The idea of a
Mediterranean union has irritated the Germans, who have insisted that it be
created in association with the EU. Guaino, the originator of the plan,
believes that even a watered-down version would have an effect on terrorism and
illegal immigration and would turn around a region ravaged by economic hardship
and war.
“We are trying to promote
projects that make people work together as much as possible and that will help
to create conditions for peace,” Guaino said. “It is an audacious bet but it is
better to take the risk of failure than to take the risk of doing nothing.”
Guaino said the Bastille
Day parade this year would be the biggest yet. It will be followed by a lavish
fireworks display and a concert celebrating the start of France’s six-month
presidency of the EU.
Sarkozy has grand
ambitions at the helm of Europe. Guaino suggested that he would like to see
Tony Blair appointed the first EU president by the end of the year. Efforts to
forge common immigration and defence policies are no less controversial.
The Mediterranean idea has
also proved to be a battleground. Britain, a backer of EU membership for
Turkey, has been wary, suspecting a plot by Sarkozy to keep the Turks out of
Europe by offering the “club Med” instead.
Besides annoying the
Turks, it has soured relations between Sarkozy and Angela Merkel, the German
chancellor. Worried that wealthier countries such as Germany would end up
paying for the new French-led association, Merkel reportedly threatened to
boycott the Paris summit unless Sarkozy scaled back plans for a “political,
economic and cultural union” for the Mediterranean.
Under a compromise, all 27
EU members, whether or not they have a bit of Mediterranean coast, will be
“equally” involved in the club. Additional reporting: Nicola Smith
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Europe