Migration is a problem with a beginning and a middle, but no end, argues New Democracy MEP, Eliza Vozemberg. She also expresses her concern that if the agreements that have been signed are not implemented, there is a risk that Europe will become divided.
Speaking to Phileleftheros on the sidelines of a recent European People’s Party (EPP) congress, Vozemberg refers to the upcoming European elections, the stakes for the EPP, and her party. She also discusses how the rise of populists and the far-right can be curbed.
One of the important issues concerning citizens of the European Union today is immigration, a problem that the far-right is exploiting. As a politician who has dealt with this specific problem, can the issue of immigration be tackled?
This is a very difficult issue, and I will be completely honest with you. Firstly, I am an MEP from the first country that faced this significant challenge, and I had the honour of managing the crisis management dossier on migration for the European People’s Party.
Since 2015, over 1.5 million people have passed through Greece. Currently, Cyprus has the highest disproportion of foreign to native citizens. The problem is a European one. Greece, through Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has elevated it to a European level. It was considered that immigration was an issue concerning only the southern countries, just as many matters are deemed to be the concern of member states when they should be recognised as European issues in general.
We managed to control, and I put this as a parameter, our borders from 2019 onwards. In the last 4.5-5 years, immigration has been controlled in the country, but we have not succeeded in having a fair European policy across the continent. In other words, if you ask me if we have achieved this now, we are attempting and striving for it.
For the first time, the Council has agreed that there must be mandatory solidarity, even with alternative forms, and a fair management of migration. Of course, we will add a parameter here that we do not know, which is the day after.
Migratory flows will continue to exist. Migration and the refugee crisis have knocked on our door in a dynamic and aggressive manner, with a beginning, a middle, and a continuation, but no end. Therefore, it remains to be seen whether the agreements signed very recently will be respected. I want to believe that because they have realised the problem, albeit with delayed reactions, we will be able to control it in the coming years.
Otherwise, the European Union will become divided. In my opinion, this is the only problem at the moment, apart from the wars that are breaking out here and there, which are unpredictable as we speak. This is a real problem, and it is capable of dividing the European Union. We must not allow this to happen, but on the other hand, it is a problem that confronts us daily. This is where the European Union is being tested for weaknesses and unfair decisions. However, we have found a good path. That is, we are on the right track. It remains to be seen in the implementation. We have not seen it yet.
What is the significance of the upcoming European elections for the EPP and for New Democracy?
Those of us who are informed about these issues, including myself, convey the message at this time of the need for participation and the importance of the European elections. They should not be viewed as relaxed or less important elections. They are very significant, especially when one combines and correctly informs oneself—I mean every Greek woman, every Greek man, every European, every European woman—about the importance of the decisions to be made.
Regarding New Democracy, the question arises as to the height at which the bar is set. I am against setting a bar. What I want to say is that parties of the European arc must be voted for. New Democracy is the largest force in Greece. It is also the only party that has clear European characteristics.
It believes in the deepening of Europe. It believes in and recognises the value of Europe for our country, which is in the south and is numerically small. But, on the other hand, our country, in a broader sense, and I will include Cyprus here, Greece is the one that brought culture and the roots of democracy to the European Union. The European direction of Greece should not go unnoticed.
Also, for New Democracy, I will tell you that at this moment, the Greek Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has upgraded Greece’s diplomatic and broader image, which in past years was lagging, and now it is a leader. He participates in the summits of heads of state, and his counterparts, and is primus inter pares. He is not only an equal interlocutor but can also influence the agenda at these summits. And that is why, in the measurements, if you look at the recognition and acceptance indicators, he is higher than the party itself, which means that we are optimistic about these elections and increasing the number of seats we won in the past.
As we speak, I can boast as a Greek and as an MEP for ND that we are the loudest voice within the European People’s Party. But it is not enough. What matters is that we understand that everyone must go to the polls. The very important reform that this government has made is now being communicated globally regarding postal voting, which gives Greeks abroad the opportunity, but also all those within the interior who cannot physically go to the polls, provided they are registered on the lists, to vote.
This is the message. This will also be the imprint of the next day. I want to believe that the Greek delegation will not be underrepresented, as is the case in other countries, because the problems we have, both geo-strategically and geo-politically, Greece and Cyprus, are far greater than those of some northern countries or the heart of Europe. They do not have many economic problems or neighbourhood issues like we do. So, the European Union is more necessary than ever.
The danger from populist and far-right forces
From your experience so far, what makes Europeans feel distant towards the institutions, towards their elected representatives?
We see a distrust, and I will take this even further to tell you that it also harbours the risk of increasing populist voices and far-right forces. The cause of this distrust is that the European Union has not achieved its promised goals in many areas. That is, equal opportunities do not exist or are not given to all member states, and young people are disappointed because they believe there is a dysfunction in the way decisions are made and the way they demand a speed in decision-making that will determine European policy on very important issues. For example, we saw quick reflexes during the pandemic, where each member state received vaccines proportionally to its population, and there was a fair management of the situation.
On the other hand, we see that the European Union is blamed for wars that have broken out, such as in the Middle East, and for its mild reaction to the challenges faced by Greece and Cyprus from the difficult neighbour, President Erdogan, and his revisionist policy.
Economically, European citizens feel that coexistence within the European Union is necessary. But they believe that either abstaining or giving strength to populist voices, is a way for the European Union to receive the message to speed up decision-making and implement fairer policies.
Let us not forget, and I will conclude with this, that the European Union has been scrutinised for years for two non-achievements, for two weaknesses: the lack of a common foreign policy and a common monetary policy. Two very important pillars for a structure that aggregates five hundred million citizens.
What is the significance of the European People’s Party Congress recently held in Bucharest?
First of all, let us say that the Congress was important for two reasons. Firstly, because the European elections are approaching, the importance of these elections must be emphasised, given that across the European Union, there is a trend of abstention, which does not particularly benefit the parties of the democratic arc.
Therefore, the European People’s Party, as the first and largest political group within the European Union and the European Parliament, wants to convey the message of the necessity to participate in the European elections but also to highlight the issues that await us—very crucial decisions for the next five years—which will concern the deepening of the European Union, the new generation, the young European citizens, and the purpose for which we should all support the European Union, always within its values.
