What mistakes has the EU made with regard to Tunisia? How can it now help the country in its transition towards democracy? MEPs and a Tunisian discuss.

Focus: The revolution in Tunisia

https://api.multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/documents/20125/15418535/M001-0051-EN.srt

Hello. With the Tunisian revolt,  we've understood

that even Muslim countries have  a civil society, that it is awakening,

and that Europe got its strategies wrong  regarding certain soft dictatorships.

But where do we go from here?  Is there a risk of this spreading to Algeria,

Margherita Sforza met  Mahfoud Romdhani, a Belgian deputy,

who fled the Tunisian regime  many years ago.

how Europe can reposition itself  in North Africa. Let's see.

For Mahfoud Romdhani,  this bookshop is like a second home.

It's from here that this socialist politician,  once a political refugee,

has followed the revolution  in his country, Tunisia.

There was no press  before Ben Ali's departure.

The press was silent.  Sure, there was some information,

As soon as Ben Ali left,  the press was reborn.

It was as if a jailed man  had been let out of prison.

For Romdhani, in exile for 40 years,  having been sentenced in absentia,

and rethink its development strategy  in North Africa.

With all due respect, the experts  and senior executives of the EU

Instead of giving money  to governments like these,

and engaged with them to give them  the means to organise themselves.

Romdhani was one of the first North  Africans to have been elected deputy.

He's now a member  of Brussels' town council

Tunisian and Arab intellectuals  are suffering.

They cannot find their rightful place  in their own country,

given their advanced level of education.

If Europe were to open its borders,  these people wouldn't be homeless.

They'd be coming here to help us  and those back home.

They'd be the bridge  between Europe and the Mediterranean.

To better understand  the situation in Tunisia

and the new policy for North Africa that  Europe will create in the coming months,

I'm joined by Niccolò Rinaldi, from  the Liberals and Democrats. Hello.

Mário David, from the Group  of the European People's Party.

And Mehdi Abbes, representative  of the Tunisian Support Association.

The Parliament, which tends  to represent what's going on in Europe,

is divided on this,  and you were very disappointed.

You attacked the two big political groups

who didn't want to take a clear, official  position on the situation in Tunisia. Why?

The groups, European People's Party  and Socialists and Democrats

wanted to avoid making  any formal pronouncements,

with the adoption of a text,  on the situation.

I must say it's not very surprising,  because if anything was missing all week,

it's been someone's voice,  at institutional level, at government level,

and, I must say, someone's voice  at EU institutional level,

telling the Tunisian people,  'What you're doing is great!'

'We're on your side.'  - There was an obvious awkwardness.

Everyone remained formulaic, 'We'll see  how it develops. It seems positive.'

But there was no actual encouragement.  No, 'We're standing by you.'

Mário David, you were personally  in favour of a resolution.

People don't really know  who was for or against it.

But why did the two big European  political groups

The Socialists' position  is easy to understand,

because, until recently, the RCD  was still under the socialist umbrella.

The party of ex-President Ben Ali,  just to be clear.

So it's understandable that  they were in a very awkward position.

And you mentioned that  I've been in favour of a resolution

First of all... Because, unfortunately,  we often use this kind of resolution

when... And I completely agree  with what Niccolò just said

regarding a resolution  about a revolution that's taking place

and is advocating democracy,  social rights, and so on,

in a country as close to us as Tunisia is.

Mehdi Abbes, we're hearing  the positions in the EP.

chose to support these soft dictatorships,

for the simple reason that they provided  a buffer against Islamic fundamentalists.

Is it too short-sighted, too short-term?

When Europe signed the agreement  on customs union with Tunisia,

let us not forget it's the first...  In 1995. That was almost 16 years ago.

The negotiations started  at the end of the '80s,

and Tunisia was the first country  of the Southern Mediterranean

to sign this agreement.  That must mean something.

And it is lamentable, lamentable,  that nobody said, for several weeks...

when Ben Ali's regime  strayed off the path,

in other words since the end of the '90s,  since '98, '99...

Everyone knew it was becoming  a Mafia state.

as it was described by  the US embassy in a report.

It's racketeering. They did this to  the Tunisians and to the Europeans,

because when a European company  wanted to invest in Tunisia,

they had to forge links  with Ben Ali's family.

It was like that until last week.  - So why didn't Europe react?

I'll tell you. What's lamentable is that  this agreement contained clauses

on the advancement of freedom  and democracy.

They exist in every agreement  with a Southern Mediterranean country.

Europe must get tough  and put pressure on these countries.