MEP: Council of EU's conclusions are a bit disappointing
A Polish MEP Marek Migalski has told in an interview to Euroradio why the EU's foreign ministers didn't dare to impose economic sanctions, and which strategy Brussels should take in relations with the official Minsk.
The decisions of the Council of the European Union with regard to sanctions against Belarus - that's too little, thinks the MEP Marek Migalski. However, the European officials can be understood in a certain sense. Aliaksandr Lukashenka has taken his own citizens as hostages, and the EU does not know how to punish him without causing harm to ordinary people. Here is where the problems of the EU and some its institutions come from.
Marek Migalski: “I was a bit disappointed with the position of the Council of the EU, as it is weaker than the EP's resolution. However, as far as I understand, this is not the last step. And the fact that Mrs. Ashton has been authorised to expand the "black list" for the cost of more representatives of the authorities gives a clear sign that the EU is not going to stop on the already taken decisions”.
However, the decision on entrance prohibition could have been acute starting from now, Marek Migalski has said to Euroradio. To the MEP's opinion, the list should include not only the officials, but also rectors of the higher educational establishments who expel students for political reasons, local officials and ordinary employees of special services. Polish advisors who know the Belarusian situation well would help to compose such a list, the MEP thinks.
Marek Migalski: “This list should not only be expanded by adding more people, but also by adding more visa sanctions, they should be broader and cover a longer list of people. Each representative of the regime who makes his input in absence of democracy in Belarus, should know that he will not be able to go to Europe, to ski or swim in a sea, even to go shopping in Europe”.
Marek Migalski is convinced that we should not justify the Council of the EU. According to the MEP, failure to impose of economic sanctions was a mistake. Some European countries acted in accordance with their own interests, which could be under threat in case of freezing cooperation with Belarus. As a result, the Council of the EU obviously expects that Aliaksandr Lukashenka will get bored with the things he is doing now, Marek Migalski says.
Marek Migalski: “Today we know that decrease of the level of life in Belarus in case of imposing economic sanctions will not influence the level of life of Lukashenka and his officials. They will still live in luxury, and ordinary Belarusians will suffer. I think that the Council of the EU wanted to avoid this situation”.
If the failure to impose economic sanctions can be explained by care for Belarusians and pragmatic interests of some EU countries, then it is impossible to explain why the decision on abolishment of fees for Shengen visas has not been taken, Migalski thinks.
Marek Migalski: “I just don't understand this. I am convinced it should be one of the first decisions. Opening of borders, abolishment of visa regime and simplification in the form of free visas for Belarusians, who will freely travel around the EU in exchange. I don't understand this. It's a shame such decision has not been taken”.
Even abolishment of fees for Polish national visas does not have a significant meaning, to Marek Migalski's opinion. There have been more talks about it than the effect, therefore, it cannot be called a great success of the Polish government. This is a good step, but a very small one, the MEP thinks.
Marek Migalski:“I have an impression that the explanations of the Poland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Sikorski are nothing more than an ordinary propaganda. As if, something has been done but not completely. This gives privileges to a small, chosen group of Belarusians, and has no impact on the rest of the population. The point is, visa obligations should be abolished for everyone, only in such case we can reach an ordinary Belarusian who now votes for Lukashenka because he thinks he is the best leader in the world”.
Aliaksandr Lukashenka was lucky all the time, because he managed to manoeuvre between the East and the West, the European Union's policy with regard to Belarus was not consistent. Migalski hopes that the EU will introduce clearer rules of the game, like punishing Lukashenka for violation of human rights and disrespect of the EU's democratic standards, and praising with opportunities of cooperation with Belarus for considerable actions of the way to democracy.
Photo: www.gover.pl
