“In Lebanon, French President Macron was right to intervene immediately, because it is a key country in the balance of the Middle East. But now we need a European commitment that is not the sum of national interests”. Lia Quartapelle, deputy of the Democratic Party and great expert in international politics (she is Pd group leader of the Foreign Affairs commission and member of the commission of inquiry into the death of Giulio Regeni), comments with FIRSTonline on the turbulence of two countries at the gates of Europe, Lebanon and Belarus, and on whose events the EU is finally called to assume a strong and cohesive position.
Sir, let's start with Lebanon. Meanwhile the facts: the explosion at the port of Beirut caused over 200 deaths and plunged the Middle Eastern country back into chaos. At the moment the cause is not yet clear: Hezbollah denies the attack, Israel believes it, but suspicions are growing in the western world. What idea did she get?
“It's not up to me to give an answer, from a distance, without knowing all the elements. I don't want to feed the conspiracy theories with which the net is too populated these days. I am convinced that an independent investigation is needed, as also requested by 4 former Lebanese prime ministers. Also because the damages are huge: the dead, the homeless, those who are suffering the damage caused by the explosion deserve truth and justice”.
The massacre immediately mobilized the international community. It was the French president Macron who took the reins of the situation, first going to Beirut and coordinating aid. What is at stake and why did Macron beat everyone to the punch?
“Macron was right to intervene immediately, because Lebanon is a key country in the balance of the region. Lebanon is the buffer state between Israel and Syria; has a role as the financial hub of the region; the stability of the country depends not only on the balance between its religions but also the possibility of defending a model of plural coexistence in a Middle East increasingly threatened by fundamentalism. We cannot afford another failed state in the Mediterranean. It must not be just a French problem but a question to be faced as Europeans”.
You recalled that Italy has conducted front-line peacekeeping operations in Lebanon both in the 80s and recently, on the initiative of Prodi and D'Alema. Is it too late to reiterate a leading role or can we still catch up? And what should the government do now?
“If we think from the point of view of spheres of influence and competition between European countries, we are really wrong. Italy needs to stimulate the EU Commission to intervene as Europe and not as the sum of national interests. There is plenty of room for action: let's think not only of the relief and humanitarian assistance role that the Italian-led Unifil mission can play in the immediate future, but also of the request for support to rebuild Beirut and the need to evaluate the viability of the many buildings affected by the explosion. These are all sectors where Italy has expertise to make available to the Lebanese people”.
However, apart from France, the reaction of Europe itself has been weak: of the 250 million in aid already allocated after the summit convened by Macron, only 63 come from Brussels, just more than the 50 provided by France. How do you assess the EU's action so far?
“We need more resources than those allocated, of course, but we also need the awareness of having to play a political role like Europe. The explosion has definitively uncovered the great fragility of the Lebanese political system, based on a sectarian division which may have helped to get out of the civil war but which today has become the pretext for covering up corruption and inaction. Europe must guarantee a new pact to refound institutions and political participation in Lebanon. Otherwise, the country risks sinking into a spiral of cross accusations, protests and ungovernability".
Trump's involvement seems even more tepid. The US has long been pursuing a policy of disengagement in the Middle East. An opportunity for Italy and Europe to play an even more central role?
“More than an occasion it is at this point a duty. Every open crisis in the Mediterranean highlights the absence of the United States and makes us feel the urgent need to give ourselves, as Europeans, a common line of conduct to pacify, stabilize and favor the development of the Mediterranean”.
What economic interests does Italy have in Lebanon? Just in recent days Federpetroli has announced that the destruction of the port will create large losses for Italian exports of oil refining. Is there only this or is there something else too?
“It always seems to me very belittling that every time the Italian presence in the Mediterranean is invoked, reference should be made to economic interests. Mind you: there are economic interests, connected both to the supply of raw materials and to exports, and it would be naive for me to pretend that they don't play a role. But I believe that Italy must deal with what is happening in the Mediterranean not only because it is convenient for us from an economic point of view, but because that is our vocation. From a geographical, historical and geopolitical point of view”.
We close with Belarus. Outgoing President Lukashenko claims victory in the elections but protests are rising in the country. Russia and China immediately recognized the validity of the vote, demonstrating that an important geopolitical game is also being played there. What idea are you getting?
“What is happening in Belarus is unacceptable. In the face of a participatory electoral campaign marked by a pressing demand for change, Lukashenko's regime is responding in the worst possible way. The news of fraud, intimidation and violence, thousands of indiscriminate arrests of peaceful demonstrators, the systematic blacking out of the internet, the violent intimidation of opposition leaders are all extremely serious acts which harm the freedom of citizens and human rights. There is no space on the borders of Europe for those who repress their own people and use violence to stay in power”.
How is Europe doing?
“Europe was very clear. As majority forces we are working on a resolution to condemn what is happening across Belarus, demand sanctions for the individuals who are ordering and leading the repression, and make us willing to offer asylum to those who are fleeing the violence".
