The Solution

For Europe to get out of its self-imposed bubble, one great, easy, and utterly practical solution is the establishment of a Worldwide European Radio Service. Its creation might just be the conduit to its transformation into a vigilant participant in advocacies against imperialism, oppression, and tyranny wherever they may be found. Through this initiative, the European Union may be able to bridge the gap that has grown over the years of keeping mum. The radio service may just be the comprehensive tool that can announce to the world that Europe is listening, it cares about global issues, and it is ready to get involved.

Relevance

A counterargument to the significance of having a radio service may be its relevance in the face of advanced technological innovations and the continued rise of the visual media. However, this point can be easily put out by the innovations introduced to radio broadcasting. Nowadays, it is no longer constrained to our dependable decades-old radio because of podcasting and streaming technologies. Though a famous song talked about the fatal effects of videos to radio broadcasting in “Video killed the radio star,” that is not necessarily the case here. In fact, radio broadcasting continues to persist to this day everywhere in the world. In fact, the radio can be considered as the most effective and far-reaching medium because it is accessible in the grassroots and in the farthest pockets of the world. Can you imagine just how significant the impact will be if Europe can let itself be heard all over the world? Now, that is speaking up.

Feasibility

With all the favorable facets of having a Worldwide European Radio Service, feasibility is admittedly quite challenging. For this initiative to be effective, it must be broadcasted in multiple languages to maximize the impact. It has to take into account the fact that the programs are directed to a global audience and must take the necessary steps to make it supple and adaptable to them. To ensure that the project will indeed be feasible, a pilot study is highly recommended, especially to the neighboring Mediterranean and Eastern nations to gauge the efficiency and address the potential issues. Preparing for a radio service can definitely be tedious but it is worth it in view of how instrumental it is in opening Europe’s doors to the international community, and to the world.

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The World’s Largest Aid Donor

Despite being riddled with its own financial difficulties and being badly shaken by the recession, the EU, relentlessly, continued to extend aid to nations in dire need. Notwithstanding the delicate status of the region’s economy, it is admirable how it pursues its charitable missions and how it supports various international causes still. For instance, it generously provided close to €7 billion within a span of three years to address the demands arising from the Arab Spring. Notably, it has already dispensed €11 billion to interventions in Afghanistan that stretched for a decade now. If ambivalence can be quantified in monetary terms, it definitely won’t translate into €18 billion given in aid donation.

Trading for Peace

Aside from launching military operations, Europe believes that there are other – and better- ways to get the goal of international stability accomplished. Resorting to guns and ammunition is not the only path to attaining peace. In fact, one of the strategies employed by the European governments in advancing the objectives of their foreign policy is by capitalizing on their vast market and trade ties. To usher in development in many beleaguered countries, it extends liberal concessions, including one in favor of Pakistan. On the other hand, it also uses its power and influence in the market to curtail the benefits of nations who are undermining efforts directed towards the attainment of peace and stability in the international community. In the general scheme of things, Europe may be deemed to have taken the path less travelled in pursuing the objectives of the transatlantic partnership.

Tales from the Military Front

Aside from consistently being in the list of Top Ten Big Spenders for military operations, economic crisis and all, European countries have been a major player in the military front. Surprisingly, Europeans constitutes more than half of the NATO forces sent out in furtherance of the missions in Afghanistan. When you look at the number of casualties from these military interventions, it can be easily gleaned that the countries of Denmark and Estonia have suffered the brunt more than the US on a per capita basis. Aside from investing heavily on homeland security, EU also continues to be the bulwark against pirates in the Gulf of Aden. The long goes on and on. Who says EU is not helping enough?

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The Great Russian Leverage

The two cards that Russia capitalizes on its slow but certain penetration of Mediterranean nations include its coveted energy reserves and its strategic location. It is quite evident that the current economic-political landscape in the Mediterranean has been greatly shaped by the Arab Spring, energy demands, and several other geopolitical expediencies. For instance, natural gas and Israel’s tense relations with Turkey paved the way for the new Israel-Cyprus alliance. The demand for energy also played a great role in forging the Israel-Greece relations because the latter can provide safe passage necessary for the former’s natural gas distribution to the European continent, in the light of unstable conditions in Egypt. It is also such energy supply that caused a rift between Turkey and Cyprus over the latter’s botched plan for exploratory drilling into Block 12 of its maritime EEZ. Turkey, obviously, wants to contest the rights to the potentially rich energy reserve, albeit the lack of backing from the EU countries who are partial to the legal claims of Cyprus.

In view of the foregoing premise, it is not difficult to imagine how significant a leverage Russia’s natural gas reserve is. By imposing limitation and “qualifications” for the governments’ access to its reserve, Russia was able to exert its influence discreetly on various political and security issues in the countries depending on its supply. For decades, Russia has been seen as a powerhouse in Europe due to is natural gas exports for which nations shamelessly scamper for.

Furthermore, Russia’s play for power has been greatly bolstered in December 28, 2011 when it struck an agreement with Turkey anent the construction of South stream natural gas pipeline through the latter’s EEZ. Consequently, Gazprom attached a rider to its original contract with the Turkish company BOTAS which stipulated an increase in its allocation of natural gas supplies. This newly-created partnership of sorts not only placed Russia is a more favorable position against Ukraine – it also improved Turkey’s position with the United States and the EU regarding the accession process. The great energy demand that Russia can address, as well as its veritably compelling force, results to the accommodation of eastern Mediterranean nations who perceive it as a potential ally against hostile forces.   The Russian Gazprom is even seriously moving in on Greece’s gas and oil company DEPA, and considering a total acquisition while strengthening gas extraction deals with the Israeli government, led by Russian President Vladimir Putin who visited Israel in July 2012. Such is the importance of Russia’s role in the Mediterranean that even the Greek opposition parties are urging the government to obtain a loan from Russia instead of accepting the bailout assistance extended by the European Union.

Russia-EU Clash
After putting up an appearance of subtlety and after carefully treading on international issues to avoid an overt conflict with the EU, tense situations have finally demarcated a clear line between EU and the Russia as they go head to head on some important matters.

For one, the EU is quite dissatisfied with the paltry, if not non-existent, efforts of Russia to aid the Syrian opposition groups persecuted and repressed malevolently by the government. Despite the persistent cajoling of the Union, Russia refuses to budge and continues to keep its hands off the conflict. Rumors are even circulating that it is contributing to it through Nicosia, which was vehemently denied by the latter.

More importantly, the rift between EU and Russia had been intensified with the discovery of abundant natural gas reserves in Cyprus’ Levant Basin Province and, more recently, in the Nile Delta Basin. This is quite a significant discovery especially for the energy-deprived EU countries who are struggling to meet their domestic energy demands. Unfortunately for them, Russia has previously concretized its relations with Cyprus and has been greatly preferred by the latter ever since its grant of €2.5 billion with quite a reasonable interest rate of 4.5% in December 2011 when Cypriot banks hit rock bottom. It is this financial assistance at a time when no one else had been willing to take the risk and extend a loan that bolstered the Russia-Cyprus relations.

Aside from being able to place some of its money in international shores, Russia’s gesture managed to place it in an extremely strategic and much-coveted position regarding access to the energy reserves of Cyprus.

Implications to the EU

The EU amidst the economic difficulties it is facing should take a page from the book of the Kremlin – master the balancing act. It should learn to appease the parties and facilitate a reasonable compromise. Otherwise, it might further alienate some nations which would, consequently, adversely affect its goals. For one, if it is hoping to gain some grounds on the Turkey accession process, it should learn how to heal the broken relations between Turkey and Cyprus, especially now that the former has commenced exploratory drilling in the latter’s Northern EEZ. It should also be able to adequately address the needs of Mediterranean nations so that the latter will have a better alternative than what Russia and China can offer.

Anent the matter of energy development, the EU should aspire to peaceably contain Russian influence in the region and create a comprehensive energy partnership among the countries to effectively tap into what could be the solution to the EU’s energy crisis.

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This highly-charged moment in the US is also an opportune time to evaluate its transatlantic partnership with the European Union. The US-EU partnership is called upon to engage in straightforward deliberations on the direction that it should be taking in terms of policymaking and implementation. The presence of the US-EU should be enforced better to make it more felt in the global scene and play a more active role in the promotion of democratic values.

Anent the dwindling involvement of the US in the global scene, Barack Obama has these to say in this year’s State of the Union address:

“…the renewal of American leadership can be felt across the globe” and “anyone who tells you otherwise, anyone who tells you that America is in decline … does not know what they are talking about.”

While Obama prefers a more diplomatic approach to global issues, his opponent Mitt Romney is all for restoring the so-called “American supremacy” by military power. Albeit the amount of Europe-bashing which may inspire concern in the region, there are three issues that must be addressed by the US, and how it does may affect the transatlantic partnership tremendously.

The Fear of China

The Pacific Sleeping Giant is finally waking up. Arguably, China is quickly rising up the ranks to be the United States’ biggest threat. Despite the support for the strengthening of US-China ties by a majority of Americans (58%), there is a concurrent recognition that it is the biggest rival of the US to global leadership. As Mitt Romney said, “”China has made it clear that it intends to be a military and economic superpower” but it remains to be seen whether its rulers will “lead their people to a new era of freedom and prosperity or will they go down a darker path, intimidating their neighbours.”

In the Pacific, China is starting to exert regional dominance due to its economic and military superiority over some of the surrounding nations.  To address the great possibility of monopolizing trade and controlling the economic landscape of the region, one of Obama’s brainchild is the Trans-Pacific Partnership which can serve as a bastion against China’s supremacy in the Pacific. The proposed partnership may also create a Trade Enforcement Unit, an entity that will be tasked to investigate any possible unfair trade practice in the region.

To the counterparts in the transatlantic partnership, these plans spark controversy which can ignite greater tension in the region. China might comprehend these initiatives as an affront and a direct challenge resulting in more trouble than good. Another cause for concern, at least in the perspective of the EU, is the straightforward language of Republican contenders about intensifying military-building efforts with the US’s allies in the region, including India.

Mending Broken Relations with Arab Countries

The two opposing US parties take conflicting positions on this matter. While President Barack Obama advances diplomacy with regard to the country’s relations with Arab countries and Muslims, his Republican opponent is pushing for increasing force and improving military assistance in the region.  Despite the approach observed by the current administration, the continued presence in Arab countries and stand in regional conflicts still inspire suspicion among Muslims.

What is the view of the EU on this issue? Europeans may exhibit dismay at the conflicting viewpoints of the two parties. Treading carefully is greatly recommended, especially with the delicate situation in the Arab world and the myriad of transformations in progress.

“Global Police Operations”

Due to the fragile economic conditions in the US, the government undertook budgetary cuts to address emerging issues and matters that have risen up the priority list in view of the recession and other major setbacks. What could this mean to the operations initiated by the US playing the role of “global police”?

Despite seemingly stringent procedures for the disbursement of funds, the US definitely wouldn’t hesitate to allocate sufficient resources when its national interest is on the line. Despite Obama’s diplomatic ways, he remains open to alternatives when the need arises. Contrary to this approach, the Republicans are more supportive of asserting the nation’s military superiority to “show Iran that [the US] ha[s] the capacity to remove them militarily from their plans to have nuclear weapons.”

For the EU, the decision on this matter will have dire consequences for it as well, including military involvement when Iran fights back. Whatever may be the course that the US will take, Europe has to focus on policymaking and review to advance the interest of both the transatlantic partnership and its own.

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Understanding what Goes on Inside Israel

To arrive at a more responsive and relevant strategy, it is imperative for the RU to pay a closer attention to what goes on inside Israel. What issues and problems are riddling the domestic political and economic landscape? What internal matters exert an influence over the Israeli leaders and their decision-making? In other words, the EU should focus on what makes Israel tick. A better understanding of the dynamics involved in the immediate situation and the factors that can affect the peace talk process will pave the way for a more comprehensive European perspective and better strategies to usher in peace and stability.

Considering the Religious and Historical Context

To arrive at a relevant formula for a successful peace process, EU should learn to take into account the religious, ideological, and historical context involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts, albeit its personal belief in sticking strictly to the dictates of international laws. It has to deviate from its own political frame and see things from the perspective of the Middle East to better understand the dynamics of the peace negotiations. If it will insist on its own method, EU is bound to find out that it may not even be viable to the Middle East landscape. As much as considering the historical background of the conflict seems quite such a formidable task, it may just be the only sound way to attain EU’s objectives in the region.

Expressing in a Unified Voice

The adage on how there exists strength in unity especially applies to attaining EU’s agenda in the Middle East. But wait, it doesn’t even have a unified agenda! Indeed, a closer look into the current EU efforts would reveal that no unified strategy has been arrived at. In view of the stable trade and scientific ties with Israel, why can’t the EU capitalize on that in pursuing its goals? Indeed, delineating clear foreign policies and strategies anent the Israel-Palestine conflict would be necessary if the EU is to become instrumental in promoting international stability.

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