Europe’s Foreign Policy Reaction to the Paris Attacks? Noise

The terrorist mass murder committed in Paris on 13 November 2015 warrants a decisive foreign policy reaction from France and its European partners. Most political leaders and commentators in Europe seem to agree that the attacks are not just a homeland security matter but also one with immediate relevance for Europe’s external affairs. But what happened that night in Paris has hit a continent that stands empty-handed in the face of the big foreign policy challenge posed by the self-styled Islamic State and other Islamist groups.

Contrary to the strong words of politicians after the Paris attacks, nothing much is going to change in Europe’s foreign policy vis-à-vis the Middle East. Nobody has the actual or the political capital and the strategic savvy to pull off a more activist role for Europe. The post-Paris noise makers will look silly. The Islamic State will rejoice. Local potentates will continue to wage war against their own populations. The next terrorist attack will come. And then the discussion will start all over again.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Collective solidarity with France must transform into collective action against ISIS http://www.europeansources.info/record/collective-solidarity-with-france-must-transform-into-collective-action-against-isis/

ESO: Background information: Letter to President François Hollande of France from European Council President Donald Tusk on the attacks in Paris / Joint statement of the Heads of State or Government and leaders of the European Union and its institutions on the terrorist attacks in Paris http://www.europeansources.info/record/countries-rethink-commitments-to-accept-refugees/

ESO: Background information: The Five Building Blocks of EU Foreign Policy http://www.europeansources.info/record/the-five-building-blocks-of-eu-foreign-policy/

Euro|Topics: Main Focus, 19.11.15: Paris and Moscow wage war on IS http://www.eurotopics.net/en/home/presseschau/archiv/archiv_dossier/DOSSIER173545-Paris-and-Moscow-wage-war-on-IS

ECFR: Commentary, 17.11.15: Forging a European resolve http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_forging_a_european_resolve5014

ECFR: Commentary, 18.11.15: Real solidarity with France http://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_real_solidarity_with_france5016

ECFR: Debate: Responding to Paris (series of features) http://www.ecfr.eu/debate/responding_to_paris

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