Resuming the path of politics

Determination, caution, and, most of all, political rather than military answers to the ongoing conflict in the Near East: Elmar Brok, German MEP from Verl (Westphalia), in office since 1980, is amongst the most esteemed experts in international affairs at EU level. President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, he is also an advisor to chancellor Angela Merkel, with whom he shares his militancy in the CDU Christian-Democrats. With SIR Europe he spoke of his position regarding the thorny, tragic situation in Syria. A grave internal conflict – an outright genocide – has been afflicting Syria for the past two years. Assad’s regime is held accountable for the death of 100 thousand people. Investigations are now being carried out into allegations on the use of chemical weapons against civilians… How has it been possible to tolerate this tragedy until now? "I think we all suffer when we see the images of war in Syria, the thousands of men, women and children killed or wounded. The call for freedom that started with such hope has now descended into terrible bloodshed. We are now faced with a grave dilemma: do we use violence to end violence? But I think the key question is how to re-start the political process leading to an eventual political settlement". Is military intervention envisaged in the short run? Could the international community carry out military intervention even without the explicit endorsement of the United Nations?"One thing is for sure: the recent chemical attacks have made a military reaction by the international community much more likely. These attacks are the latest testimony to how brutal this conflict has become. As for the international situation: I think Russia and China as permanent members of the UN Security Council must now demonstrate to the world they do not tolerate the use of chemical weapons, which would set an extremely dangerous precedent in this world. They must live up to their responsibility". Many political observers and European high-ranking politicians claim that military intervention in Syria may involve huge risks, also given the already complex situation in the Middle East. What is your opinion to this regard? "Given the unclear situation in Syria, the results of any military intervention would be very difficult to calculate, to say the least. Politically, the biggest problem is the absence of a large and unified democratic opposition representing the majority of the people". To date, what has been the position of the European Parliament on the situation in Syria? "The European Parliament has always seen itself as the standard-bearer for peace and respect for human rights and human dignity. This is why, very early on, we have put Syria high on our agenda, discussing with national, European and international policy-makers how to deal with that conflict. Just recently, we looked at the situation of refugees from Syria, and what the EU can do to help". What do you wish for the future of Syria? Will the Syrian population recover peace, dignity and democracy? "I sincerely hope so. One thing seems clear for me: all three – peace, dignity and democracy – are linked. One without the other will not work. Peace and dignity for everyone in society can only last in a democracy, and vice versa".