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Sarkozy's Mediterranean grandeur By Michalis Firillas Tags: Mediterranean, Sarkozy It's not fair to stereotype, but what if the stereotype has a fair amount of truth to it? You be the judge. The French know beauty like no one else. And who best recognizes beauty in France? You guessed it: Monsieur le president. No, this is not about you-know-who. This is about a beautiful idea. But like many beautiful ideas, it is a bit myth, a bit fantasy, and is of questionable practicality. If you have not heard of Nicolas Sarkozy's Mediterranean Union initiative, don't fret. You were either not meant to hear about it yet - because you are not, say, part of the Algerian target audience - or, you may have missed it in the torrent of proposals and activity surrounding the new man at the Elysee. The crux of it, unveiled in February 2007, during the election campaign, is this: France will lead in the creation of a union of "Mediterranean" countries, whose aim will be economic development, political stability, social prosperity and cultural blossoming. Although it will include members of the European Union, it will be a separate body - with a special relationship to the EU, and possibly a similar structure, but different and independent. Most importantly, it must not be confused with the European Commission's Euro-Mediterranean partnership, inaugurated in 1995. Even though many of the aims of the Euromed are similar to the union Sarkozy is proposing, the French president would clearly insist on distinguishing between the two - if for no other reason than that his initiative will be French-led. To be fair, Sarkozy is also of the opinion (and he is not alone) that the Euromed has been ineffective and that the Mediterranean Union will bring concrete projects to fruition. Advertisement From the outset, Sarkozy's idea has been characterized by two elements: It angered many of those it meant to include; and it has been a work in progress. Turkey reacted furiously, linking the idea with Sarkozy's opposition to its accession to full membership in the EU. In North Africa, the reactions ranged from condemnation of a perceived "neocolonial" attitude, to charges of racist anti- immigration motives. Mediterranean EU members scrambled to understand what Sarkozy had in mind, and how this would affect the Euromed and the EU at large. Germany was particularly irate, as Sarkozy's scheme was seen as a challenge to the status quo of European power-sharing and joint policy-making, but also as a shift from Berlin's focus on Eastern Europe. There were also question marks about those who were not included - Syria and the Palestinian Authority, for example - and those non-Mediterraneans who were, like Portugal. Israel, which is part of Euromed, has also been invited to participate in the Mediterranean Union. Not everyone in Jerusalem is excited about the idea. In the Arab world, most commentators (the majority being North Africans) are suspicious of Israel's participation and are critical of Sarkozy's "Zionist" credentials. For his part, Sarkozy has insisted that France will not tolerate a situation in which Israel is excluded from the union. Indeed, recognizing that his idea needed marketing, Sarkozy has been peddling it at every opportunity, and assigned diplomat Alain Le Roy the task of coordinating discussions on the Mediterranean Union. There is also likely to be a summit sometime during the French EU presidency, which begins in July. But it is interesting to see how the idea has evolved. The broad framework of the initiative was unfolded during talks in Egypt last November. It runs along four main axes: environment and sustainable development; inter-cultural dialogue; economic growth and social development; and "the Mediterranean security vacuum." With the possible exception of the last bit, this is turning out to be a lot like the lame Barcelona Process, which set up the Euromed. Why is that? The main reason stems from the same fundamental misconception of the existence of a "Mediterranean" - a concept that can be attributed to Fernand Braudel, whose "total history" approach made him one of the most important historians of the 20th century. Braudel's monumental "The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II" encapsulated a unity in the Mediterranean, in form, culture, economy and experience. It is a romantic approach, just as it is a beautiful idea. But it is far from reflecting today's reality; many would say it wasn't a reality in the 16th century, either. What is certain is that the cultural, linguistic, ethnic, political, social and economic differences of the peoples in the Mediterranean suggest a much more disparate reality, which is very difficult to bridge under current circumstances of enormous gaps between north and south, political systems and stability. Sarkozy did not become president because he is a romantic. Every president of the Fifth Republic has been a pragmatist (even Giscard d'Estaing) - and so is he. Sarkozy recognized the detrimental effects of uninhibited anti-Atlanticism, and declared that France would not be anti-American just for the sake of being different. He acknowledged the leadership France must play in Europe, and has sought to improve ties with Britain and Germany, but also with others, including Spain and Italy. And he recognized the problem and opportunity that the southern rim of the Mediterranean poses for France. It is, at once, a source of illegal immigration, socio-cultural militancy at home and Islamist terrorism, but also of opportunity for economic gains - particularly in energy, as France promotes its nuclear know-how and seeks to secure natural-gas resources, and of political and cultural development. In short, this is a chance for France to reassert its leadership, and revive a historic sphere of influence. Sarkozy realizes that France needs to deal with its North African "problem." For some, his Mediterranean Union is a containment policy. For others it is neocolonial. But there is also a sense that Sarkozy is betting on French grandeur, that aura of greatness, to bridge the disparate Mediterranean with a new and serious political body. Unfortunately, he may find that there are others with similar visions of grandeur, from Ankara to Cairo, from Jerusalem to Tangiers, who have their own Mediterranean visions. Michalis Firillas is on the editorial staff of Haaretz English Edition. Bookmark to del.icio.us   West Bank shooting Kiryat Sefer man, 40, sustains light to moderate wounds when terrorists open fire from passing car. Fighting words Barak vows to expand IDF operations against Qassam fire.   1.   portugal is not a mediterranean country 09:10  |  paulo2005 12/01/08   2.   Algarve? 11:32  |  Gila 12/01/08

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