Responding to terrorism with wisdom

Yesterday´s horrendous attack in Berlin cannot be used by the extreme right to further their hate campaign. We should not allow it to happen.

The people responsible for the violence are terrorists and they should be dealt as such. We cannot fall into stereotypes and start looking at every refugee as a potential threat. Refugees are just fellows like you and me. The main difference is that they had to run for their lives. They are not in the business of taking other people´s lives. The criminal that comes to us and tries to do us harm is just that, a criminal. He might represent a new type of danger. But that´s the world of today, the upshot of some very serious crises in different parts of the world.

This seems to be understood by the vast majority of the German people. They are deeply sad and disturbed but they remain calm and have demonstrated they do not fall in the trap the extremists are so good at laying. We should share their pain but also their wisdom. 

Time for serious repair work

The Cypriot Parliament has now voted against the foolish financial package that the EU leaders were trying to impose on them. Instead of a sleepless night the bosses of Europe should think about reaching out towards Russia and getting the Kremlin to cost-share the rescue of Cyprus’ banking system. This would be a strategic move. It would build a concrete bridge between the EU and Russia, at a time when many years of empty grand rhetoric have achieved nothing in terms of a real partnership between the two sides. It would also contribute to stabilize the markets which have been seriously affected by Brussels’ decision and will be further destabilized by tonight’s impasse, after the parliamentary vote.

All this requires vision, courage and humility. These are exactly the commodities that have become rare in the EU corridors of power.