Leading Dutch MEP Sophie In ‘t Veld (Volt) criticised the EU–Tunisia migration deal that was concluded on Sunday, saying outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (VVD/Renew), Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (FdI/ECR), and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen have no power to make agreements on behalf of the EU.
Rutte, Meloni, and von der Leyen met up with Tunisian President Kais Saied for the second time in two months as part of the EU’s efforts to stifle the number of migrants coming via the Mediterranean.
“[…] Outgoing PM, without the slightest authority to speak on behalf of the EU, concludes a highly controversial pact, with unclear legal basis,” In ‘t Veld tweeted, asking “[w]ho is actually meant by “the European Union”? Von der Leyen, Rutte and Giorgia Meloni have no power to make agreements on behalf of the EU”.
Back in June, von der Leyen had already announced that the two sides were discussing an investment plan worth €1 billion, aimed at throwing Tunisia’s battered economy a lifeline in exchange for the North African country ramping up its efforts to stop illegal migration towards Europe through its territory.
Some €100 million of the investment plan’s funds were to be used for anti-smuggling activities, border management, search and rescue operations, and migrant repatriations to Tunisia.
Besides migration, the deal also foresees cooperation in the digital sphere, water management, sustainable agriculture and clean energy.
“For humanitarian reasons, it is vital that we work together to stop people making the dangerous – and often deadly – Mediterranean crossing as they attempt to reach the EU shores,” Rutte stated during a press conference, while also adding that “the central aim of this partnership is to help ensure economic growth, jobs and also future prospects for Tunisia”.
The negotiations had been criticised due to Saied’s recent authoritarian tendencies, including the jailing of opposition politicians on anti-terrorism charges and his inflammatory remarks about sub-Saharan migrants in the country, which had recently led to pogrom-like scenes in the port city of Sfax.
“Dirty deals with dictators are not only immoral but also ineffective. Repression and bad governance will only drive more people onto rickety boats. VVD campaign disguised as EU action,” In ‘t Veld stated in a follow-up tweet.
The deal comes just a week after Rutte’s fourth cabinet fell due to insurmountable differences within the coalition regarding family reunification rules. Following the cabinet’s fall, opposition lawmakers and cabinet members had accused Rutte and his VVD party of “tanking the coalition” to make migration the dominating topic of the upcoming elections.
(Benedikt Stöckl | EURACTIV.com)
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