Europe - get your act together!

Once again the Middle East is at the centre of events! To solve the problems for good something very new and politically courageous has to happen. See my previous Blog.

But here and now Europe has a fantastic possibility to play a crucial role in keeping the very fragile peace. The UN has (for once) been able to produce a solid mandate for a peace-keeping force. Everybody seems to be happy. Until the "bill" arrives. Altogether 15.000 troops have to be in place - the sooner the better.

Personally I cannot believe it. Most nations have for years reorganised their armed forces to be able to solve immediate problems by sending troops well trained and well equipped for that sort of situations. European countries have more than 1 million troops at disposal. EU and beyond.

Now, the isssue is if and when we are able to send 15.000 soldiers to a key area very close to us. So far (after two weeks) only 3.500 soldiers have been promised - and they are not even there yet.

Europe - get your act together. Get these troops in place within a couple of weeks. In this situation it is a question of keeping the momentum. A peacefire is in place. Now WE have to show responsability. Perhaps others must take over later on. But here and now: GO THERE. AND DO THE JOB!

EU for the Middle East

Let's all hope that the new peacefire in the Middle East will hold. So far so good. But I fully understand people who are sceptical. There are so many different interests involved and so much hostility and ignorance that just a small accidental or provoked outbreak of fire can put the whole region into turmoil again.

The ONLY way ahead is for all countries in the region, not least Israel, a Palestinian state, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria to create their own EU - their own supernational cooperation, where they transfer the political decision-making on the water resources in the region to a common body. Water is for those countries what coal and steel was for the European countries after WWII. This would be the beginning of a dynamic "Middle East Community", which could then develop step by step with more and more mutual confidence.

The ten million EURO question is: do the countries concerned have politicians with this vision and political courage???? Hopefully yes.