MEPs expressed their indignation at the election process in Ukraine in a meeting on Wednesday of Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee with Javier SOLANA, EU High Representative for the common foreign and security policy, and Ukraine's EU ambassador Roman SHPEK. Some MEPs called for the immediate sending of a special high-level EU delegation to Ukraine. Meanwhile, Parliament's Budget Committee has decided to postpone a vote on granting loans by the European Investment Bank to Ukraine.
Addressing the committee's members, Mr SOLANA said it was "imperative to get a result which reflects the will of the people". He said that the presidential elections in Ukraine did not satisfy established international standards and that the EU "will not accept fraudulent elections".
He acknowledged that although a dialogue was taking place at the moment, a flare-up of violence could not be ruled out. He stressed that the partnership between the EU and Ukraine could only develop if the country adhered to democratic principles and that the quality of EU-Ukraine relations would depend very much on the quality of democracy in the country. He pointed out that an action plan between the EU and Ukraine in the framework of the EU's Neighbourhood Policy was scheduled to be adopted in the near future.
Mr Solana told MEPs that he was in constant telephone contact with leaders in Ukraine as well as in Poland, which at the moment chairs the Council of Europe. Prime minister Jan-Peter Balkenende of the Netherlands, which currently holds the presidency of the EU Council, has been in contact with Ukraine's President Kutchma and with the speaker of the Ukraine parliament, he said. On the proposal to send a high-level delegation to Ukraine, Mr Solana said that it would be better first to have a clearer idea of the situation and that the Council had decided against this. But he said he was willing to reconsider this decision.
Mr SHPEK pointed out that there were no official results of the elections yet, so that it was difficult to comment on the voting or the outcome. He said that Ukraine should not "sink into a process of civil resistance" and that there had been shortcomings on both sides. An appeal against the decision of the Central Electoral Commission was always possible, he added. Mr Shpek objected to the "atmosphere of catastrophe" which was now being generated and pointed to major improvements in the democratic process in Ukraine, such as better access to the media for the opposition candidate and the organisation of public debates. "Inciting disorder," Mr Shpek said, "is in no-one's interest", adding that his country's territorial integrity should be respected.
Marek SIWIEC (PES, PL), who headed the European Parliament's delegation of election observers to Ukraine, said that appalling things had happened during the elections and that all parties concerned, including Russia, should start a dialogue immediately before it was too late. Mr Siwiec deplored the division and polarisation in Ukraine and stressed that the minority should respect the majority's election victory. Jerzy BUZEK (EPP-ED, PL), one of the other observers from Parliament, who first made the proposal for sending a high-level delegation, pointed out that Ukraine was the largest neighbouring country of the EU and said it was unacceptable that the country should come under Russia's sphere of influence.
Yet another member of the EP observer delegation, Tijs BERMAN (PES, NL), said that Ukraine should respect the criteria it adopted itself when it joined the OSCE and the Council of Europe. He strongly protested against the Ukraine ambassador's statement that there had been shortcomings on both sides, as the government candidate, Mr Yanukovich, had controlled the entire apparatus of the administration and the media. Mr Berman supported Mr Buzek's proposal and added that, should Mr Yanukovich be declared president after all, the EU should consider imposing smart sanctions. He also expressed his deep admiration for the people now out in the streets of Ukraine.
Grażyna STANISZEWSKA (ALDE, PL) found it unacceptable that while the United States was preparing to condemn the election process, the EU was still playing for time. She feared a bloodbath if action were not taken. Bronislaw GEREMEK (ALDE, PL) called for a special sitting of the European Parliament to discuss the situation. He stressed that Ukraine definitely had a place in the EU but the question was when. Charles TANNOCK (EPP-ED, UK), vice-chair of the observer delegation, said there should be a recount, that results should be annulled where the voting had not met the required standards and that people responsible for election fraud should be prosecuted. Only then would the EU be in a position to provide further help. Other MEPs who spoke all lambasted the course the elections in Ukraine had taken.
After the debate, the Foreign Affairs Committee decided to draw up a statement under the coordination of the committee chair, Elmar BROK (EPP-ED, DE), of which the full text can be found below. The statement says MEPs are convinced that the elections were manipulated and that the preliminary result was falsified, but that they stress the need for everybody involved to continue to use non-violent means only. MEPs firmly reject allegations, especially by the Russian president, that the EU and the international community are encouraging violence by expressing support for the Ukrainian people. The statement also calls for an EP delegation to be sent to Ukraine rapidly.
The European Parliament's next plenary session, on 1 December in Brussels, is now due to open with a debate on the situation in Ukraine. This change to the agenda has to be formally approved by the EP Conference of Presidents tomorrow Thursday 25 November.
