At the beginning of his article, the correspondent in Brussels for Il Foglio takes on an exasperated tone. “This time, there was time to prepare,” lashes out the journalist from the Italian daily. “Trump took a long time to gather his armada to strike Iran.” Nevertheless, once again, the EU’s reaction to a major geopolitical event “did not seem coordinated.” Yet, it was not for lack of trying.
On Saturday, February 28th in the morning, as soon as news of the missile rain on Iran reached them, Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Council, released a joint statement. The two leaders wisely limited themselves to reaffirming their commitment to “regional security and stability,” and, of course, to reiterating the sacred call for “full respect for international law.” “Few lines, carefully crafted,” comments the liberal media. Up to that point, Brussels’ reaction had been flat, but cautious and smooth. Then, the multifaceted nature of the European institutions took over.
Over the weekend, indeed, the united front between von der Leyen and Costa began to crack, with the former “supporting the right of the Iranian people to determine their fate”…
