Brussels Briefing with Marietje Schaake, Bernd Erbel, and Cornelius Adebahr
Marietje Schaake, a member of European Parliament from the Netherlands, outlined the EP’s position on relations with Iran. Sharing insight from a recent visit to Iran with a EP delegation, Schaake described the crucial role hardliners still play within the Iranian government. A powerful minority remains vested in keeping negotiations stagnant and does not want the country to open up. Schaake emphasized, however, that this just emphasizes the importance of pursuing dialogue with Iran. The small window of opportunity for renewing the relationship with Iran should be used wisely. Schaake stressed the importance of upholding human rights when considering Iran, an aspect that the EP is giving particular attention to.
Bernd Erbel, German ambassador to Iran from 2009 to 2013, shed light on the domestic situation in Iran prior to the elections in June 2013 that brought about a fundamental change in atmosphere. Erbel questioned the efficiency of sanctions, arguing that despite their huge cost to the Iranian economy, they had not in fact pushed Iran to the brink of collapse. On the contrary, the sanctions merely forced the country to increase its nuclear activities in order to demonstrate its status as a regional power. Erbel concluded that there is now a “golden” opportunity to bring about a comprehensive long-term agreement. For Hassan Rouhani, the new president, has demonstrated his commitment by showing considerable flexibility in the negotiations leading to the interim nuclear agreement.
Dr. Cornelius Adebahr, an associate fellow at the DGAP’s Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies, ventured a view from across the Atlantic. He highlighted that perceptions matter greatly in driving foreign policy. US media have portrayed the negotiation process toward an interim agreement as a bilateral negotiation between the US and Iran, a view that downplays the role of the EU. According to Adebahr, perception in the US has therefore widely ignored both the EU’s important role in the negotiations (spearheaded by chief-negotiator Catherine Ashton) and the weight of European sanctions, which have, according to Adebahr, outweighed American sanctions.
The panelists were invited by the DGAP’s Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies as part of its Brussels Briefing series. The event was moderated by Josef Janning, Mercator Fellow at the DGAP.
