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The seven Mediterranean countries of the EU have aligned themselves with Greece and Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean conflict. But Italy and Spain do not want to indulge entirely with Turkey.
The seven heads of state and government of the Mediterranean countries of the EU (Greece, Italy, Cyprus, France, Portugal, Spain, Malta) at the Ajaccio meeting.
Led by France, the southern Europeans close ranks against Turkish President Erdogan in the dispute over the exploration of natural gas reserves against Greece and Cyprus. In Ajaccio, Napoleon Bonaparte’s home in Corsica, the heads of government of France, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Malta declared their “full solidarity” with Greece and Cyprus in their confrontation with Turkey.
If Ankara continues to explore natural gas fields with its ships in the exclusive economic zones claimed by Greece and Cyprus, according to the declaration of the seven (Med7), the group of states would come out in favor of sanctions against Turkey at the summit of the EU at the end of September. Athens refuses to negotiate with the Turks while their ships sail through its waters.
At the end of the meeting, Macron said with a softer humor than in recent months that he would prefer to enter into a fruitful dialogue with Ankara. Macron has in mind a “Pax Mediterranea”, which unites the great cultural space of the Mediterranean to share its resources and promote artistic and scientific exchange between neighboring countries. Organizing this room, the president said, has become more difficult since the United States and NATO made less and less commitment to it.
This is the first time the French president has taken a more binding tone after France decisively and immediately sided with Greece militarily in August. Before the conference, Macron had said that Turkey “was no longer a partner in the Mediterranean.” Ankara, Athens and Paris are the three members of NATO.
It is not a watertight alliance
France has also muffled its rhetoric because not all members of the Med7 group stand in Turkey’s way with the same enthusiasm. On the other side of the Mediterranean, in the Libyan civil war, Italy and France are on opposite sides. Like Ankara, Rome supports the Tripoli government, which is now back in the saddle thanks to Turkish intervention. Paris, on the other hand, had long relied on the warlord Haftar, who is considerably weakened.
Arm in arm in Corsica, but on opposite sides in the Libyan conflict: French President Macron (left) and Italian Prime Minister Conte at the Med7 meeting.
Spain also does not want to spoil itself completely with Erdogan. It has a lucrative arms cooperation with Turkey in the construction of a light aircraft carrier. France’s alliance with Greece is not only due to love for international law. Athens plans to buy weapons in the next decade in light of the Turkish threat. The budget will be increased by 10 billion euros for this. The Greeks want to spend a large part of their military spending on French products. We are talking about 18 Rafale fighter jets.
Despite all the differences that become visible on closer inspection, the joint emergence of the Med7 countries is a foreign policy success for France, and probably also for the EU. It confirms that a certain division of roles between Germany and France is being installed in the conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Franco-German coordination
Paris speaks the language of power, which it has dominated thanks to its offensive military capabilities and its seat on the UN Security Council. Germany, on the other hand, seeks a balance between Greek and Turkish interests. It offers itself as an “honest broker”, although many Greeks suspect and suspect that economic relations with Turkey and its role in reducing migration are the reason for German involvement. In any case, the coordination between Paris and Berlin works much better than a few years ago when Germany tried to prevent French initiatives in the Méditerranée.
And where is NATO? There is little to see of her or the United States. Immediately after the Med7 statement, Ankara announced that an exchange between Turkish and Greek officials had taken place at the Alliance headquarters. Athens denies it.
