The political groups of the European Parliament on Tuesday April 13 summoned the two heads of the institutions to put an end to their quarrel after the protocol incident in Ankara and to find a solution to speak with one voice on the international scene.
Read also: Between von der Leyen and Michel, a notoriously difficult relationship
The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the President of the European Council Charles Michel were summoned by the group presidents to present them the results of their mission in Ankara on April 6 and to explain themselves on the protocol controversy that opposite.
"
The President of the Council reiterated his public regrets and insisted on the unity of the EU and the team spirit
," one participant told AFP, on condition of anonymity.
Mortified
As for Ursula von der Leyen, she explained that she was mortified by this incident as a woman and as president of the Commission, added the same source.
The parliamentary group leaders asked the two leaders to submit to their assembly a proposal for a solution so that such an incident does not happen again, and insisted that this solution be presented on the occasion of the debate on the relations between the 'EU and Turkey during the plenary session from April 26 to 29.
Read also: Nicolas Baverez: "The submission of Europe to Sultan Erdogan"
"
We expect our leaders to form a common front, notwithstanding the protocol, when they represent the EU in the world,
" warned the German Manfred Weber, president of the European People's Party (EPP, pro-European right ), the political family of Mrs von der Leyen.
"
We need a voice on the international scene
," added the liberal Dacian Ciolos, president of the Renew group, the family of Charles Michel.
The precedence given to Charles Michel during their meeting on Tuesday April 6 in Ankara with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was seen as an affront by Ursula von der Leyen.
The President of the Commission had been placed on a couch, while Charles Michel, representative of the EU Member States, and President Erdogan took their seats in the only two armchairs available.
The presidents of the political groups have expressed fears about the approach of a "
gradual, conditional and reversible
"
resumption
of cooperation with Ankara in response to the desire for appeasement shown by the Turkish president after a year of tensions.
“
Besides the unacceptable images of the meeting in Turkey, we still need to know what commitments have been made to President Erdogan,
” said Manfred Weber.
"
Until we see structural changes in the behavior of the Turkish army in the Eastern Mediterranean, we are not ready to make concessions on customs or visas in the near future
," he warned.
/cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/prisa/KMEYMJKESBAZBE4MRBAM4TGHIQ.jpg)
