Bernard GUETTA

Policy topics Bernard GUETTA is active on

What Bernard GUETTA has said (13)

• “Thank you chair. Of course. I would like to thank our rapporteur. Thank her for the excellent work that she's carried out. And I appreciated this greatly when I read it. It reminded me of the very active participation that you that our committee had led by the head of the committee in Saudi Arabia. It's a very important text because it's our first report on relations between the EU and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, this report is going to outline or at the very least, set the foundations of the relationships between the EU and Saudi Arabia, a country which is becoming even more ever more important. This is because it's not just an oil producer, as everybody knows. It is also a country which is moving away from being under the US's thumb and is making its own mark on the international stage. We have. We are right to congratulate ourselves sometimes, but we shouldn't also shouldn't be too concerned. We should be pleased that a very rich and important country, when it comes to energy questions, is also going to become a key international player. So yes, this report is absolutely vital. As I was on this mission in Saudi Arabia.”
  EU relations with Qatar
• “I'd just like to put a simple question to you. In Iran, the policy of the mullahs of the theocracy has actually had a major impact on religion, particularly on the practice of that religion by young people. Does the violence of the Taliban lead to the same thing in Afghanistan today? Are fewer people less religious, more religious or not?”
  EU policy on Islam
• “Here in Europe. We increasingly are interested. And this is in developing our trade relations. With other countries that are not the United States and China. Well, not the United States, because. Well, unfortunately, the president, Donald Trump, has gotten it into his head. And this is not new, by the way, that the European Union is an adversary who needs to be weakened, not with China, for even more obvious reasons, because it is flooding our markets with substandard products at cut rate prices that are destroying our industry. And when they don't destroy them, at least weakens them. So the Mercosur agreement for the EU and for Europe, more broadly, geographical Europe. Is absolutely essential. And it's precisely because this whole question is so important that we need to do everything that we can in order to ensure that, um, the, the public opinion in the EU does not reject this agreement. This agreement is fundamental. It is at risk of being rejected because of the various vested interests that are out there, Which are defensible in and of themselves and which are very vocal. We must not underestimate the risk here that this agreement, which is so. Important and is vital, may not end up being accepted.”
  Trade relations with Mercosur
• “Madam president. Madam Vice chair in many member states, analysts from the different parties feel humiliated by the American document on national security. I myself didn't feel humiliated. I felt attacked, which is completely different. But I do feel humiliated by the weakness of our reaction. I understand that we can't stoop down to the same level of civilisational decline as the United States. We can't use the same language. And we can't express the same primitive ideas. But why not calmly and politely, but firmly respond point by point to all of the incoherent and incoherent, uh, messages in this document full of lies? Well, our silence were not just encouraging the Americans to continue down this path. But we're also encouraging the very bad image that Putin has of us. He thinks we are cowards and we aren't, and we need to show that fact.”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “I had the feeling that I was visiting a country which was led by a regime that you could call a new incarnation of enlightened despotism. Despotism is is there? But the enlightenment is there as well, but not necessarily in terms of freedom and not in terms of arbitration. But it's there when it comes to the questions around how the country will move into the 21st century and the role that it will play. So today we should welcome and this is something that you do very well in your report. We should welcome the important steps that Saudi Arabia is undertaking towards its modernization and its integration into the 21st century. But we should also Uh, highlight what is still to be done. So my group has tabled several amendments. They're not corrections, but they are simply in order to add something to this report. The goal is to highlight that there is a certain enlightenment, but there is also despotism in Saudi Arabia. One final point Saudi Arabia is playing an important and ever more positive role in the Israel-Palestine conflict in Gaza. And I think it's good that the report underlines this. Thank you.”
  EU relations with Qatar
• “Since the attempted invasion of Ukraine by Vladimir Putin's troops. We have witnessed a real step backwards. Once again, the world is dividing into two blocs. Once again, the world is divided in two. I would like to know whether the External Action Service has taken into account this change, and I wonder whether there is a risk that we could end up in the all too familiar situation, which I think can be summed up. But the sentence yes, they are bastards, but our bastards. Will we end up in a situation where, regardless of whether a regime is democratic or not, countries that support democracies will be supported by democracies. I fear that that trend is already underway and it's a deplorable development. Of course, but my fear is that it is becoming somewhat inevitable. So does the eeaS think there is any way to avoid this? And are you aware of this trend?”
  EU-Russia relations (from March 2022)
• “Thank you. I would ask you to forgive me. I have just joined, um, rather late, because I was involved in the preparations of the meeting next month between the Russian opposition and the European Parliament, which is a very important subject, obviously. So just joining us now. Let me just tell you off the cuff what I think. Now, it's true that ice was created as a perfectly legitimate institution. But over the last year, its budget has been considerably increased. Far, far too much and completely untrained. Bad actors are being recruited. And Ice has basically turned into a militia, which is in which is working in the service of a political of a political trend. Actually within political strand, actually within the Republican Party. And if you look at the situation, what's been happening since the judgment of the Supreme Court last Friday, it's perfectly clear. And all you have to do is have a look at the American press to realize this. But it's perfectly clear that President Trump is entering a weaker phase, and he is not man enough to let go of some of relinquish some of his power, which he considers to be absolutely his. He's worried about losing the elections, obviously. Now, you know, the polls aren't 100% reliable, but he's certainly not going to relinquish power. And he's creating tension. And he's a master in this. And within this atmosphere, Ice will be an instrument and continue to be an instrument at the service of his administration, where he wants to hold on to power in. He'll invoke emergency powers. And this is what he tried to do last time when he tried to organize a coup. So there's absolutely no reason for him not to try the same coup this time. Thank you.”
  EU-US relations
• “When Benjamin Netanyahu is saying that the Palestinians should have the capacity to govern themselves but not harm Israel is correct, except except if that actually means and there's every reason to fear that that for him, this actually means the Palestinians should not have a state of their own. This people will hope to find themselves in Jerusalem as their capital. They won't give up that dream. Not even 10,000 years of waiting. And it's not a peace that will. Well, it's peace, really, that needs to prepare that path. So we need to have negotiations for peaceful coexistence between the two states. And this would allow them to have a level of security through this approach because they they have one. They can make this the last war. If the Prime Minister finally can be convinced of this. Thank you.”
  Relations with Israel - Palestine
• “This kind of work is always tied in with military conflicts. Very often it was to do with the spoils of war. This was the case when the Russian troops are lay siege on Austria, on Vienna. However, there is a new element. Rape has become a weapon of war rather than just a spoils of war. Come on guys. They used to use it or commit it after the war. Today it happens during the conflict. Is this what we're seeing in Sudan? This is what we're seeing in. Democratic Republic of Congo and we're seeing it in Ukraine. And this is something we don't talk about enough because we want to protect. People because of the psychological effects. But it has become a weapon of war. It's high time that the European Union revise the existing texts to instill them with more vigor. That they shed light on this issue Of rape as a weapon of war, and that the International Criminal Court. Take action specifically on such cases as quickly as possible. This is, of course, a battle, but one that is well worth to be fought.”
  Support for International Criminal Court
• “Yes. Currently, the EU and Europe more generally needs to, Uh. Concrete. Its position as an international actor. Strengthening our connections with the southern Mediterranean is vital. But I have two points. The first one is that we need to talk more about politics. But we also need to talk about co-development. I know that this topic is being dealt with, but maybe not clearly enough. And also not in terms of industrialisation and the industrialisation of these countries. As well as the benefits that this industrialization industrialization could bring. My second point is that today we need to not just develop and consolidate our partnerships with the Southern Mediterranean countries, but with the entire of the African continent. I know that within all European institutions and especially in the Parliament, we all think we all want to have these good relations. But now we need to really. Accelerate these efforts. We need to do so because Europe will not become an important, vital player on the international scene without deepened cooperation with the African continent. Thank you.”
  EU relations with the Southern Neighbourhood
• “Could I say, Madam Commissioner, that, uh, having heard what you said, um, my feelings are very mitigated because on the one hand, I'm really extremely pleased that, uh, you have this position and that you fill this post. I'm very pleased about this because I've been working now, uh, as a journalist for the past 25 years. I've been saying that the Mediterranean is basically a lake, not a sea, and it brings two sets of countries together, the European and the northern African countries. These packs are absolutely crucial. There is no doubt about that. But then on the other hand, when I see the reality which faces us today, and that is to be complacent vis a vis US regimes such as the Tunisian regime with regard to people who tempt attempt illegal immigration towards our countries, they commit authentic crimes. And I am ashamed because to push men, women and children into the desert and let them die there without water, without protection from the sun, without us Saying anything at all. This is simply intolerable, and it is equally intolerable that this Tunisian president, sorry, I should say dictator, is demanding or suggesting implicitly that he's doing this in our name, and that is where things go completely awry. We've come to a fundamental stage. On the one hand, there's no doubt about that. But on the other hand, the first step we're taking in that direction is covered with shame.”
  EU-Tunisia relations
• “Thank you Chairman. So I'd like to share a few ideas with our guests and, of course, with other members. There's one question in particular which I've been wondering about and which I haven't really come to a conclusive opinion on. I've been a member of the European Parliament for six years now, and over that time it's become increasingly clear to me to. The extent to which our action to defend human rights has become almost worthless. We refer to human rights in our agreements with third countries. We set out very precise demands, requirements in terms of human rights. That's important. It's a good thing. But in reality we practically never respect those obligations. This is something which many of our colleagues have frequently pointed out regarding Israel. They're quite right in what they say. But Israel is just one example. Amongst many others, I could see 50 or 120 other examples. I don't know exactly how many, but there are a lot of them. There was one issue I was particularly involved in personally. I remember where we disregarded the absolute disregard shown by Vietnam when it came to human rights obligations in our agreement with that country. 2 or 3 days before ratification of that agreement, and to my enormous outrage, we did ratify it. Vietnam. Basically made a gesture of defiance to the European Union by throwing some of its most renowned human rights defenders into prison. In my view, we can no longer simply bandy around these statements. It's simply not working. What's the alternative? I've been thinking a lot about this. One idea I've had. Is that we could work with the other major democracies around the world. Who are resisting recent trends in the United States and Russia. And of course, China, without referring to other countries. Not to mention other countries. So do you think that we should try to establish a joint strategy with those countries when it comes to the defense of human rights, would that be more efficient? Would such an approach be realistic? As I said, I've been thinking about that myself, and I'd like to take this opportunity to ask you what you think about that. Thank you.”
  EU foreign policy approach
• “15:20 – 17:17:46): Well just per chance I've come back on what's just been said and say that in last September I was in Washington carrying out some investigations to draw up a report on the state of democracy in the US of course I went to see the two organizations the Democrats and the Republicans who support or who supported democracy in the world. I took a deep dive in the important buildings very beautiful but empty and when I say empty I'm not exaggerating completely empty there were three or four people maybe in the Republicans they tried to put on a brave face in the Democrats they were completely at a loss you could see it on their faces these organizations no longer existed. And I understood that very day the extent to which I'd really understood more than many others how our foundation was absolutely crucial completely indispensable. And finally if I've got a few seconds Chair if I may is my time over no okay thank you my last point I'm a member of the executive committee of the foundation and without wanting to exaggerate whenever I turn up for one of our meetings I really get the impression that I'm heading into the headquarters of the fight for democracy the struggle for democracy because today it's become a fight not just against dictatorships that we've known for many a long year not just against those illiberal regimes but also now against the contestation of democracy which is being cultivated by new political and intellectual circles in the United States itself within the biggest democracy in the world.”
  EU-US relations