EN - #VivreEnsemble Main aspects of the common foreign and security policy and the common security and defence policy - Richard Howitt, on behalf of the Socialists and Democrats Group in the European Parliament - 14.01: Madam President, this is a debate about Europe’s foreign policy, but Parliament will understand if I devote my speech to how that policy is affected by our response to the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack. Ms Mogherini is right to look for concrete action, right to say how essential it is for our internal and external responses to be integrated, and especially right when she says we must de-link the words ‘Islam’ and ‘terrorism’. For me it is not wrong to share in an emotional response to this attack. The magazine and its journalists, which meant to make us laugh, have suffered an attack which can only make us cry. But reason must prevail in our response: the reason that tells us the open societies we enjoy will always be vulnerable, but that terrorism succeeds if we allow that openness and freedom to be prejudiced. We can best support the human right of freedom of expression by refraining from passing anti-terrorism laws which themselves infringe human rights. So we must consider the problem of foreign fighters; but my own country is wrong to consider actions which themselves might breach the Conventions on Statelessness. I am dismayed that a representative of a party which includes the proud name of my own country stained the memorial in this Chamber by seeking to use it to blame immigration. They should remember that the Charlie Hebdo attackers were all French citizens, just as the London bombers were all British. And those who resist Europe’s role for our mutual security should see, too, that a suspect who is on a British watch list but not on a French one exposes a justifiable need for better intelligence sharing in Europe. Foreign policy did not cause these or other terrorist attacks. There is no legitimate cause for the fighters, but there are causes as to why they fight. Conflict in Syria, Yemen, Libya and Iraq has allowed the threat to grow, and it will be reduced only if we work to end those conflicts. Europe must intensify its work with partners in the wider region to stop support for conflict and recognise that Western support for authoritarianism in some of those countries, now and in the past, has fuelled grievance. This is our neighbourhood, and disengagement, either through fear or through erecting barricades, is not an option. This week especially, we should support our French colleagues who championed their country’s concept of vivre ensemble – living together within our continent and living together beyond it. © Frédérick Moulin 2015 - EU2015 - EP - All rights reserved.
Posted on: Mon, 19 Jan 2015 08:05:00 +0000
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