Malta will not nominate any of its diplomats for the post of special EU envoy for the southern Mediterranean and is instead supporting a Spanish candidate who has the backing of EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
To boost its efforts in the region and better coordinate its policy to help North African countries in their transition towards democracy, the EU decided to appoint a special envoy for the southern Mediterranean as part of its new foreign service.
Asked whether Malta would submit any candidates for the post, particularly in view of its long tradition and experience in Mediterranean politics, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said the island had no such intention as it had already promised to lend its support to a Spanish candidate.
“We are supporting Bernardino Leon for the post, who has also been nominated by Commissioner Ashton,” the spokesman said.
According to the ministry, Mr Leon, a senior foreign policy adviser to the Spanish government, enjoys the support of the majority of the 27 member states, which have to agree on his appointment.
The EU is eager to strengthen its international clout and forge a clearer approach to the southern Mediterranean following criticism that it has too often turned a blind eye to undemocratic regimes in the region.
If approved, Mr Leon’s primary responsibility will be the EU’s relations with Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Libya and Algeria, all of strategic importance to Malta.
In the past weeks, particularly since the start of the Arab Spring, the EU moved to define a policy towards North Africa with a commitment to closely commit billions of euros to assist in the changes and provide a cash injection to reformers.
In the past, critics have said the EU tended to favour stability over change, supporting autocratic leaders such as Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak for decades and Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
However, this latest approach also has its complications because many southern European member states with close ties with North African countries would not want to lose their “special relationship”.
Malta, Italy, Spain and France all have close geographical, trade or historical ties in the region and are keen not to give up the influence they gained over the years. Italy, for example, is a former colonial ruler in Libya and has developed a large reliance on Libyan energy resources while Spain and France have close commercial and business interests in Morocco and Tunisia. Algeria is a growing market.
Malta has tried to play a leading role in the region projecting itself a springboard or a bridge between the EU and North Africa. Its latest role in the evacuation operation during the Libyan crisis and subsequent assistance has also boosted its clout at EU level in Mediterranean affairs.