Germany, unlike the other European states, is interested in the Eastern border and has always devoted attention to the states in this area. Germany, which took over the Presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1, has great weight in the European policy concerning the Eastern Partnership countries. The prospects of the EaP depend particularly on the EaP member states as the EU, even if it continues to offer support, pleads for the “more for more” principle, Ion Tăbârță, expert in international relations, stated in a public debate titled “Germany’s Presidency of Council of EU: impact on Europe, impact on Moldova”, which was staged by IPN News Agency.
Ion Tăbârță said it is hard to anticipate the impact of Germany’s presidency of the Council of the EU. The EaP was proposed as an institutional policy of the EU so as to bring stability, development at its new Eastern borders. “Regrettably, things didn’t go well in these states, despite the progress they made. We must admit that the Republic of Moldova developed a lot. We took steps forward owing to this institutional policy of the EU – the EaP. Unfortunately, the Republic of Moldova by far didn’t profit from the possibilities offered by the Eastern Partnership to the states covered by this institutional project,” he stated.
The expert noted that changes occurred in the EaP during the last few years amid European and global crises that were probably unprecedented ones. “It is hard to say what will happen, but the relationship with Germany, which is an important player of the European Union in all the processes taking place on the European continent, is very important for the Republic of Moldova. Germany is also interested in what is going on in Eastern Europe,” opined Ion Tăbârță.
In another development, he said a state like Moldova, of small dimensions, which tends to a European future, always orients itself to the large, influential states that decide in the EU. Moldova has European aspirations as a state. No one has illusions as to the possibilities of Germany during the six-month presidency of the Council of the EU. But it’s goods that namely Germany and a politician like Angela Merkel will manage the EU in this period marked by the pandemic crisis that thwarted everything.
“Why will Germany succeed? Because it aims to succeed. Germany will pave the way, will start processes that will be very important for the subsequent development of the European Union. Germany has a profound pro-European government. But the German national policy derives from the European interests, not vice versa. When pursuing its national policy, Germany takes into account namely the EU’s interests,” stated Ion Tăbârță.
According to him, a priority of Germany’s presidency is to fight the COVID-19 pandemic, which is a preoccupation for the whole EU. “Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the European solidarity has never faced such a challenge. Missis Merkel stated that the biggest threat or crisis after World War II is now being felt. We all know that the European solidarity was born namely after world confrontations and Germany starts from this experience. There are today many problems at European level where this solidarity does not yet work. I think the health system is the area to which attention should be devoted.”
The debate “Germany’s Presidency of Council of EU: impact on Europe, impact on Moldova” was the 142nd installment of the series of debates “Developing political culture through public debates” that is supported by the Hanns Seidel Foundation.
