ZELENSKI TRIUMPHS IN POMEGRANATE WITH TURKEY’S NOTABLE ABSENCE

President Macron’s invention to manage the waiting room of the European space that wants to be integrated into the European Union, the so-called European Political Community, has held its third meeting in Granada, on the occasion of the Spanish presidency of the EU. On the basis of appointments, the organization, which still has neither structure nor clear rules of the game, is clarifying its usefulness and also the real States interested in participating. It is clear that the countries that are in the process of negotiating to join the Club of 27 cannot be absent from a table where the European institutions and the heads of government of their member states are present. That is why the absence of Turkish President Erdogan is a clear gesture of protest and realism, since no one within the EU believes in Turkey’s accession. Therefore, this onion layer surrounding the European Union, with countries from the Balkans, those bordering Russia and the Caucasians, is becoming a second speed for sharing dialogues and debates on the main issues affecting the continent.

At a time when we are experiencing a continental war, the mere presence of the assaulted president, the Ukrainian Zelenski, makes it necessary to focus on his requests and the Community’s response. And if the Ukrainian leader has once again achieved anything, it has been the unanimous support of the Europe that wants to share a project of law, freedoms and democracy. Once again the isolation of Putin’s Russia has become apparent and this time probably more blatantly than the other two times. That is not to say that the position on the course of the war is unanimous on the part of all present. There is no doubt in Ukraine’s membership in our community world, but regarding the solution of the conflict more and more voices whisper the need for a peace agreement. 

The intended icing on the cake of the Granada Conference had to do with the meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, in conflict over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh. Promoting a political agreement and pacifying the territory would have enhanced the usefulness of these meetings and, above all, would have made a significant impact on the international scene, demonstrating the EU’s capacity to be a geopolitical protagonist. However, in the end, the Azerbaijani Prime Minister Ilham Alyiev was absent and despite the intense diplomatic activity, the picture of success was not possible. All in all, a further step has been taken towards clarifying what this European Political Community can offer, sifting through the participants and deciding on the topics for dialogue. Beyond gestures, time will tell whether Macron’s idea benefits the European construction project. For the time being, it survives.

Jesús González Mateos, a Spanish journalist, is the president of EditoRed.

This text is free to use. It was originally published in Aquí Europa. If you plan to use it, please cite that source.