Syriza´s victory opens an interesting time in the EU

Syriza has won a clear victory. Greece´s choice is clear. But Greece is not alone in Europe of today. They will have to negotiate with the other partners within the Union. It´s going to be, I believe, a very interesting negotiation. It will say quite a bit about the future of the EU. 

Mariupol should not fall into rebel hands

The strategists behind the rebellion in Ukraine know that the EU States are now pretty busy with very demanding issues – internal security, Quantitative Easing and the possible consequences of the elections in Greece. Therefore, they considered this was a good time to reinforce the rebels and go for an offensive beyond the territories already held by the insurgency.

That´s what is taking place today. There is a dramatic increase on the rebel activity. And we have all the indications that show the combatants have been strengthened by their supporters and are now ready for additional gains.

The attack against the port city of Mariupol is the latest development in this strategy. If the city falls into rebel hands that will be a major blow for the Kiev authorities. In view of this, the allies of Ukraine have to go the extra mile to help the government to retain control of Mariupol. They have also to be very clear at the OSCE. The organisation has several teams on the ground, including in Mariupol. They should be in a position to say, in very clear terms, who is the aggressor. And they have to be brave and say it without any further delay.

Unfortunately, OSCE has shown to live in an impasse. And they will keep showing it, demonstrating their irrelevance. 

Supporting Draghi´s decision

In the political sphere, as in life, each one has to be brave and take his or her responsibilities. One cannot blame others if one has not taken action first and tried to do the best within means and capabilities.

That´s what Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, did today. He played his role to the full. Notwithstanding serious opposition coming from very powerful people. The decision taken on Quantitative Easing is a daring one. It matches the complex and vast challenges the Euro countries are confronted with.

Now, it is up to the politicians and the key economic players to do their part. With full commitment and the same type of vision Draghi has shown. 

Davos 2015

Davos 2015 is again attracting a very high number of key personalities. The World Economic Forum is unquestionably the most significant summit of true decision-makers: it attracts people with real power and in a critical variety of sectors. It is also a major opportunity for networking and for future deals. 

Yemen is in chaos and is a major danger

The political crisis in Yemen has now reached a new height. The country is at war with itself, on one side, and, on the other side, at the mercy of terrorists in some regions. Chaos is now the word that best describes the situation.

 In a region that is already facing deep threats to peace and human security, Yemen adds a major new stain to the regional map. And a very aggressive one, for that matter, as the level of violence in the arid lands of Yemen is comparable to the one practiced by the IS senseless criminals in the territories under their control.

Any meaningful fight against international terrorism needs to address the formidable challenges that come out of Yemen. 

Peacekeeping and the dialogue with European NGOs

The EU member states are in the process of drafting a common position paper on the reform of the UN peace operations. Today there was a discussion with the peace building NGO community, as part of the preparation of the paper.

Many things were said, some of them a bit off-track. But it was clear that the European NGOs operating in countries where the UN deploys a peacekeeping mission would like to see an enhanced dialogue between them and the peacekeepers. They all remarked that many of the soldiers coming from different parts of the world are not trained to meaningfully engage in a partnership with civilian voluntary organizations coming from Europe. And this is a major source of misunderstandings and frustration. 

Greece´s anxiety

The Greek general elections will be held in a week. But the matter seems to have disappeared from the European news. Or, it will be an important event. The outcome of the elections might have a serious impact on the European agenda and be at the centre of the policy dialogue for a few months.

Syriza, the left wing party that is against the current austerity programme, is very much ahead in the most recent polls. It might not have enough votes to put together a government after the elections. But it will come out of the elections with a much stronger voice.

All this will lead at least to political instability in Greece. The country needs just the opposite: stability, to be able to attract new loans and new investments. And also to stop the ongoing social mistrust and fear. Because of the reigning atmosphere, many Greeks are taking their money out of the banks and keeping it under the mattress. The banking system is under serious stress as a result. And we can expect more anxiety as days go on. 

Chadian army ordered to fight Boko Haram

The good news is that the Chadian army has now been ordered to move into the Boko Haram area and fight the terrorists. The Chadians are by far the best army in the region. They certainly can achieve some results.

Now the point is to see if the Nigerian government is prepared to accept such deployment within its territory. I hope they will. And it should be possible because there is already a cooperation framework between Chad, Nigeria and Niger with the aim to fight terrorism around the Lake. But this is a time for elections in Nigeria and some politicians might think that the Chadian intervention might signal to the voters that the national authorities cannot do what the Chadians can. Let´s hope that will not be the official position in Abuja. 

Let´s be wise and thoughtful

This is a time, I should repeat, to be moderate and tolerant. And also to keep in mind the weakest segments of society and ask ourselves if we are doing the right things when it comes to respecting them. 

Please do not promote social discrimination

I welcome every statement made by the political leaders, including today´s speech by the French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, as well as Chancellor Angela Merkel´s declaration, that the Muslim citizens of our European countries should be fully respected. To discriminate against them because of the criminal actions of a handful of people would be totally unfair.

At present, one of the key issues is about making sure that an important segment of our societies is not victimised.

And this is even more important if one takes into account that many of our fellow Muslim citizens do occupy modest positions in the social ladder and are therefore less able to make their voice heard.