Aba da Causa

Por Ana Gomes

"Nationalism and populism in Europe, its neighborhood, the USA and in the world demand that we ditch the neo-liberal policies which are destroying jobs and deregulating globalization, thus feeding the Farages, Trumps, Erdogans and their KGB master Putin.

Enlargement can only remain a priority with countries wanting to embrace European ways and values. As you said, Commissioner Hahn, this is not the case today in Turkey, under Erdogan. 

It's Erdogan, not the EU, who is closing the door, with gross human rights violations, heavy repression, abandon of the rule of the law. As a consequence - and as our Turkey rapporteur, Kati Piri, called for - negotiations should be frozen.

But that also means that we need to engage even further with civil society and all political forces in Turkey who fight to restore democracy and the rule of law. 

Will the European Commission help?"

Question I addressed to Commissioner Hahn today, at the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament debate on EU enlargement