Josep Borrell, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, has the “full support” of President Ursula von der Leyen, a spokesman for the European Commission president said on Feb. 8. This is despite the fact that at least 70 MEPs have called for Borrell’s automatic resignation after he was “humiliated” during his visit to Russia last week.
The timing and course of Borrelli’s visit to Moscow sparked a number of controversial incidents during the recent period of controversy over the poisoning of Russian opposition leader Navalny and his arrest upon his return, as well as the construction of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline in Germany. After returning to Brussels from his visit to Russia, Borrelli complained on his blog that he only learned of the expulsion of three EU diplomats from Russia during the visit on social media. In addition, Borrelli stood by silently and half-smiling during a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergueï Lavrov last Friday when the latter called the EU an “unreliable partner” to his face.
In response to this series of “humiliating” incidents in diplomacy, 73 cross-party MEPs have so far issued a joint letter raising their “concerns” about the humiliating developments during Borrelli’s visit to Moscow. The joint letter reads, “The misjudgment of Borrelli’s decision to visit Moscow on his own initiative and his failure to stand up for EU interests and values during the visit have caused serious damage to the EU’s reputation.” The MEPs also called for von der Leyen’s dismissal, saying, “We believe that the President of the European Commission should take action if Mr. Borrelli does not resign on his own initiative.”
The list of signatories includes mainly MEPs from the European People’s Party (EPP) and the European Conservative and Reformist Party (ECRP), as well as some MEPs from Renew Europe. The co-sponsor, Riho Terras of the European People’s Party, said he plans to send the letter to von der Leyen on Monday evening, before more MEPs are likely to sign the letter. Borrelli is reportedly scheduled to appear at the European Parliament session on Tuesday afternoon, where he is expected to be pressed by MEPs about his trip to Moscow and his behavior during a much-criticized press conference with Lavrov.
In response, Eric Mamer, chief spokesman for the European Commission president, said at a press conference on Monday that von der Leyen “fully supports the High Representative’s trip to Moscow” and said the trip would be discussed further at Tuesday’s meeting of the College of Commissioners. EU foreign affairs spokesman Peter Stano also defended the statement, saying, “As for what Mr. Lavrov said, there is really nothing new. This is what the Russian authorities have always said.” He claimed that “the High Representative remained silent because he was very vocal in the negotiations with Mr. Lavrov.” Stano said he described the talks as “very long …… Highly tense.”
Stano spoke of Borelli’s request to visit Navalny in prison, which was rejected by Lavrov. He said a senior member of Borelli’s delegation had met with Navalny’s lawyers. However, the MEPs’ joint letter also criticized other aspects of Borrelli’s visit, including his condemnation of the U.S. embargo against Cuba and failure to mention “Russia’s ongoing war in eastern Ukraine” and praise for Russia’s new crown pneumonia vaccine, “even though it has not yet been approved by the European Medicines Agency approval.”
In addition, the foreign ministries of Germany, Redi and Poland announced on the 8th, one after the other, that each had expelled a Russian diplomat accredited in their country as a joint counteraction to this Russian decision.
Recent Comments