European Union (EU) Ambassador to the Philippines Franz Jessen visited DLSU last March 18 to host a talk titled European Union’s Common Foreign Policy at the Philippe Jones Lhuillier Conference Room in Henry Sy Sr. Hall.
Dr. Renato De Castro, a professor of the International Studies Department which also hosted the event, welcomed the visiting ambassador, calling it a “[resumption of] our connection with the European Union,” in reference to the University’s European Studies program, which was first launched in 1993 backed by a sponsorship from what was then called the European Community.
Stressing on the word ‘Union’
Contrary to the implications of the term “union”, Jessen revealed that the need for constant compromise between members is a norm, as member states often do not wholly agree on certain issues. “When we want an agreement on climate change, we don’t get exactly the agreement that [one country] is after…but we get a compromise,” he shared.
The immediacy of foreign policy was also highlighted as Jessen admitted that before the EU could issue a formal response, a consensus must first be reached among all 28 member states. Despite this, he emphasized the benefits of having a collaborative approach, citing the collective security they have from EU’s defense policy. “We are so integrated in the [EU], that an attack on one member state will be an attack on all of us,” he explained.
Concerning the Philippines, Jessen narrated that personalized perspectives from any of the members are not entertained to maintain an equal partnership among nations, further explaining the depth of EU’s relations with the country, “We have actually been working with [the Philippine] government for the last 35 years, going from [Former President Ferdinand] Marcos to President [Rodrigo] Duterte. We have worked with all of them.”
With the EU’s basic policies being to pursue peaceful resolution of conflicts and to foster international understanding, Jessen expressed the willingness of the union to support initiatives that strive for peace in the country such as the ratification of the Bangsamoro Organic Law.
He assured that European defense policy remains dynamic and moves beyond “traditional” ways of thinking, adding that the EU remains committed to using “soft” power to pursue a mutually beneficial foreign policy. “We sometimes say that we are not a superpower, but [instead that] we are a ‘superpartner’,” he noted.
Present issues
On a question raised by the audience regarding the Philippines’ withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) last March 17, the ambassador warned that such actions illustrate a “[weaponization] of the rule of law.” The withdrawal came as the present administration continues to wage its so-called “War on Drugs”, which is estimated to have claimed more than 20,000 lives according to the Commission on Human Rights.
The status of the relationship between the Philippines and the EU became a subject of concern after the withdrawal, as member states strongly supported the ICC. Jessen acknowledged that the Duterte administration has the freedom to withdraw from the tribunal, but explained that the EU is in favor of the ICC because it regulates actions that go against the bureau of law. “The solution to perceived aggression is not to have stronger aggression,” Jessen claimed.
He reassured everyone that despite their continued cooperation with the current administration, values such as human rights and rule of law remain uncompromisable. Jessen also maintained that political and territorial issues with China and Russia must be dealt with carefully and with a “high degree of patience”.
