The EU should prioritise Syria’s political transition over migration, expert says

The European Union should prioritise establishing a viable political process in Syria, while the situation in the country and the prospects for refugees remain uncertain, a senior Middle East expert at the Italian think tank Istituto Affari Internazionali told Euronews in an interview with Radio Schuman.

Since the fall of Bashar al Assad’s regime, the EU has carefully calibrated its reactions to developments in Syria, avoiding triumphalism or pessimism. Since 2011, the EU has imposed sanctions on members of Assad’s regime, including asset freezes and travel bans, while remaining the largest provider of humanitarian aid in Syria. However, the bloc now faces challenges in responding to the volatile situation involving a new coalition it considers a terrorist group. Some EU countries, such as Austria, have suspended asylum claims for Syrians and even proposed deportations. The Italian institute’s Maria Luisa Fantappiè said these actions are premature.

In the second part of the program, we took a quick look at the Brussels agenda, highlighting key discussions among newly elected European Commissioners and an upcoming vote by EU diplomats.

In the last segment of the show, Radio Schuman reveals what the busiest airport in Europe – spoiler alert: a non-EU capital leads the ranking…