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Washington D.C. Moroccos warning to the European Union over their trade deal is a breath of fresh air in the otherwise stale Moroccan diplomatic dealings with Europe.

After enduring years of economic, diplomatic and public relations manipulation at the hands of some European nations, the Moroccan diplomacy is rousing with a new assertive approach to defend its vital interests and to build a relationship based on mutual respect and shared interests. Morocco warning to the EU is away overdue.

The EU needs to reconsider its neo-colonialist approach to its economic relations with Morocco. For years, the North African nation has been a good neighbor, an understanding partner, a flexible negotiator and an active cohort in every common pursuit with Europe, Yet, the European attitude has been arrogant, hypocrite and condescending.

Since his accession to the throne, King Mohammed VI made every efforts to build strong and equitable relations with Europe especially Spain and France. While Paris has been a good friend, Madrid has been flaky, unreliable and double-dealer.

From its unconditional cooperation in stopping illegal immigrations and drugs to its proactive support in tracking terrorists and extremists, Morocco has been a model partner for the Europeans. To the contrary, Brussels has been second-guessing Moroccan positions in the Sahara conflict opposing the Kingdom to Algeria. The EU has taken Morocco for granted for years and views Rabat sympathetic positions on immigration and security as a weakness and vulnerability.

Moroccos opponents, namely Algeria and its allies, have portrayed the Moroccan-European relations as one way street where the North African nation collects all kinds of benefits and grants as handouts. The truth is that both entities gain form a healthy bilateral trade.

The strengthening of the Moroccan economy is good for the EU since it strengthen the domestic market and enhance the purchasing powers of the locals who tend to buy European products. A trade hiatus would damage some European economies that deals extensively with Morocco and would lead to great instability and insecurity in the Mediterranean and an unescapable wave of migration and illicit drugs.

The recent harassment in some European ports of the Norwegian vessel Key Bay, that was transporting fishing oil from a Moroccan port to Europe, is unacceptable. In fact, Morocco should counter any attempt to block Moroccan agriculture products from entering into the European market by a halting intelligence and security cooperation with the EU.

Furthermore, Morocco should expel Spanish fishing boats from its territorial waters. Spaniards cannot have their cake and eat it. Morocco may not be looking for confrontations; however, such unfriendly attitudes cannot go unnoticed and unanswered.

If the EU decides to pick and choose the type of Moroccan fishing and farming merchandise to allow into its territory based on the origins of the product, then Rabat should also establish the kind of cooperation needed to keep this selective relations alive. Nevertheless, the deal should not stay as it stands today unless the EU treats all Moroccan products equally.

A Moroccan product , be it from Tangier or Laayoune, is made in Morocco the same way as a Spanish product that is manufactured in Madrid, Barcelona or Bilbao is sill made in Spain.

Morocco has kept the Western Mediterranean in a largely peaceful atmosphere when it can easily create periods of tension that would develop into political crisis for some European governments. Rabat understanding attitudes on immigration and shared intelligence alone is key to political stability in some European capitals.

Regardless of the fate of the Morocco-EU deal, Rabat should expand its economic outreach further in Africa and build stronger commercial ties with India, China, Japan and Russia. Furthermore, the close diplomatic and political bonds between the Kingdom and the Arab Gulf monarchies should translate into even bigger economic ties. Moroccos newfound markets will easily offset EU investments and grants offered to Rabat.

Moroccan officials need to do their part also by appointing competent ambassadors who are well equipped to deal with the types of judicial hurdles the country will encounter in Brussels.

Moroccan embassies, in some European capitals, need to have resident legal experts familiar with the Western Sahara conflict. Moreover, economic attaches at Moroccan diplomatic missions should have strong negotiation skills and a good knowledge of the legal aspects of the Sahara dossier.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent any institution or entity.

Morocco World News. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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Morocco Should Stand Up to the European Union Trade Provocations - Morocco World News

European Union President Donald Tusk's diplomatic bombshell listed the Trump administration as a threat alongside China, Russia, terrorism and radical Islam, adding that "worrying declarations by the new American administration all make our future highly unpredictable."

"The change in Washington puts the European Union in a difficult situation; with the new administration seeming to put into question the last 70 years of American foreign policy," Tusk said in a letter to EU members.

The astonishing break from diplomatic practice stems from reasons that range from the personal to the broadly geopolitical.

Tusk's stark description about a close ally of seven decades reflects deep unease about President Donald Trump's take on European institutions. He's called NATO "obsolete," dismissed the 28-member EU as a "vehicle for Germany" and publicly said he's had "a very bad experience" with the EU as a businessman.

There is concern that Trump's comments will not only undermine the EU, but benefit Russia, which would prefer a weakened NATO and a strained Europe-US alliance.

And then there is deep wariness about Trump's chief strategist Stephen Bannon -- not just because of his anti-EU views and influence on the President but because his website Breitbart News is looking to expand into Europe. Diplomats said there's concern the site's cocktail of fake news and conspiracies could impact upcoming European elections.

"Tusk's letter speaks to one challenge Europeans see -- Trump's skepticism," said Fran Burwell, a distinguished fellow at the Atlantic Council. "But there's another challenge in Bannon," who is close to populist European politicians such as France's Marion le Pen and her aunt Marine, leader of the National Front.

While some experts champion a move away from the EU and multilateral organizations, many diplomats and analysts said the new US administration seems to be trying to rewrite the terms of the US-EU alliance in ways that are potentially destabilizing.

Tusk's "dramatic language is something you wouldn't expect. It's extremely worrying, but I can see why. Trump's policies to the EU are completely unprecedented," said Stefan Lehne, a former EU diplomat from Austria now with Carnegie Europe. "Every Brit and European was socialized to expect the US to lead on every international crisis. Now you have a US president who wouldn't mind at all if the EU fell apart."

Lehne notes that Tusk's statement comes as the EU faces Russian assertiveness, a refugee crisis, rising populist movements in Europe, and critical elections in France, the Netherlands and possibly Italy.

"There's a lot at stake and all these negative dynamics amount to a crisis. Tusk seems to feel if all this comes together, if the EU doesn't come together, it will come apart. It is really a difficult moment."

Burwell describes it as "really earth shattering for many. It's a fundamental challenge."

Nile Gardiner of the Heritage Foundation agreed it's a "sea change," but sees it as a positive.

"The old arguments in favor of European integration no longer apply," he said. "The winds of change are sweeping through Europe with a drive toward sovereignty, self-determination, decentralization of power. Donald Tusk is in a state of denial as to the trajectory in which Europe is moving. President Trump has a better understanding."

Trump shows little love for the EU, saying at a Friday press conference with British Prime Minister Theresa May that he had a "very bad experience" in which "getting the approvals from Europe was very, very tough." Trump seemed to be referring to an EU ruling against a wall he wanted to build at an Irish golf course he owns because it would endanger protected snails.

The State Department referred requests for comment about Tusk's letter to the White House, which did not respond. The EU mission to the US said Tusk's letter speaks for itself.

In that letter inviting member states to a meeting on Friday, Tusk said, "We cannot surrender to those who want to weaken or invalidate the Transatlantic bond, without which global order and peace cannot survive. We should remind our American friends of their own motto: United we stand, divided we fall."

Derek Chollet, a senior adviser for security and defense at the German Marshall Fund, said a divided Europe and a weaker US-Europe relationship could make it harder for the US to find partners to work with -- particularly on global security issues -- there could be economic fallout that hurts US businesses, and it could leave Russia "empowered and getting everything it wants -- a US divided from Europe and an EU that is weakened and perhaps breaking apart -- without having to do anything. "

"To the extent that Trump seeks to undermine or weaken the EU, that benefits Russia," said Chollet. "This is a softball pitch over the plate to (Russian President) Vladimir Putin."

Gardiner, of the Heritage Foundation, said Russia would prefer to deal with a weak EU than individual countries. "Sovereign nations can do more than the lowest common denominator," Gardiner said.

Burwell added that one of May's messages for Trump was a request not to weaken the EU. "They are cooperating very strongly with Europe, the EU, in terms of sharing intelligence -- when she was Home Secretary she was central to that," said Burwell, "so the message was 'we're leaving but we still want them strong.' "

While the administration hasn't yet articulated a policy that would actively undermine the EU, Chollet said, "the fact that Trump has embraced people like Nigel Farage," the leader of the Brexit movement "who seeks to undermine the EU, and that advisers like Steve Bannon are on the rise, it's leaving Europeans asking questions whether the US is a reliable ally."

Several diplomats said anxiety is running high in Europe, with leaders quietly advising people to wait, avoid commenting on every Trump tweet, and see what the US actually does.

Lehne, the former EU diplomat, said that there might be a shift in tone coming. He pointed out that it's still so early in the Trump administration that the President doesn't yet have in place a full Cabinet that might reflect broader and less ideological views.

Leone said he was "quite sure" that former ExxonMobil CEO Rex Tillerson, the nominee for secretary of state, "has a different view of international cooperation than Mr. Trump himself. Trump will have to work with his Cabinet, Lehne said, "and he'll have to listen to them to some extent. What we've seen in this week is probably misleading because it expresses the views of a very small circle around him and not reflective of the larger group."

One reality check, analysts and diplomats said, might be the EU's strength as a trade bloc. It represents a market that is currently larger than the US and without the UK, will only be slightly smaller. Lehne said the economic underpinning of the EU makes it more resilient than some people realize, as transnational supply lines and free movement act as a powerful unifier.

And it may bring the US business community into the conversation on behalf of the EU, Burwell said.

"If you talk to US companies, the idea that the EU might break apart and you may have to deal with 28 different countries -- there's no way," she said. "If you don't think the EU is important, just ask these tech companies that look at Europe as a super regulator on issues they care about like privacy."

If Trump tries to make bilateral trade deals with member states, he'll run into a legal roadblock, said one diplomat, because trade negotiations have to be done through the EU capital in Brussels.

Going forward, Lehne said he thinks Trump may simply try to avoid dealing much with EU leaders like Tusk. "He's clearly going to talk to the capitals of the bigger states and if he runs into difficulties will try to play one off the other," Lehne said.

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European Union president trashes Trump as 'threat ...

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Link:
The European Union tries to prevent a wave of migrants from Libya - The Economist

Mr Wilders would be likely to take the country out of the bloc, Marine Le Pen the Front National leader would be likely to follow suit, leaving Germany faced with the prospect of funding the cash hole.

The PVV leader has been placed first in the polls with 31 per cent of the vote, a month before the Dutch elections.

If Mr Wilders does pull off a shock win, it could pave the way for the far right leader, Marine Le Pen to come to victory in France in May.

SHUTTERSTOCK*GETTY

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I think that the EU could survive just about with Britain leaving, but a Dutch departure would be a killer blow as they were part of the original six

Director General at Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood

This would leave Angela Merkels country as the only substantial economy left standing in the crumbling bloc, leaving the Chancellor to fund the giant 35billion-a-year cash hole of three countries with stable economies leaving the European Union.

Annually, France pays the EU 16.4 billion, The Netherlands 5 billion and the UK 16 billion

Economists also believe that if France and the Netherlands were to leave the bloc, then the other countries would be left questioning themselves why they are still members and bring the whole EU tumbling down.

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Director General at Institute of Economic Affairs, Mark Littlewood, said: The pinch on Germany would get greater.

I think that the EU could survive just about with Britain leaving, but a Dutch departure would be a killer blow as they were part of the original six.

It would lose its credibility and begin to unravel and would send greater shock waves politically.

He added: Theoretically the Germans could afford it.

It would depend on the patience of the German electorate, there is political evidence that the patience is wearing thin."

Chancellor Merkel's popularity has plummeted as the support for the anti EU party, Alternative for Germany, is riding high in the polls.

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France and the Netherlands were two of the six founding members of the EU, along with Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and Italy.

The economist said that if a country like the Netherlands left, it would have more chance of creating a domino effect on other countries than Brexit would have, as it has been part of the project since the beginning.

He said: You could say that the UK was not committed to the project.

But, with Netherlands and France, it will start to put into question whether the EU will have to completely alter in its present state.

In January, at a meeting of far-right leaders in Koblenz, Germany, Mr Wilders said: Yesterday a new America, today Koblenz and tomorrow a new Europe.

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Mr Wilders promises include imposing border controls, stopping Islamic Sharia law and sending home migrants who reject Dutch values or commit crimes.

Neil MacKinnon, from Economists for Brexit, said: Germany would struggle, the question is whether the taxpayer would take on an open ended cheque.

Germany does not want to bail the rest of the EU out. There are economic problems in the EU, debt in Italy, whether they are willing to pay is a massive issue.

The EUs shelf life is diminishing by the day.

When you have just a few countries footing the bill, there would be voter resistance, there would be a push back against it.

Mr Mackinnon thinks that this black hole in EU funding is a big issue in Brussels, especially for Germany in their election year.

He said that once the Netherlands and France leave, the big question for the remaining countries will be, why should we stay in the EU now?

He added: If Germany had to pay an open-ended cheque to the EU, there could be a voter revolt, it could be a case of cant pay, wont pay.

Mr Mackinnon believes that the EU was an economic project doomed to failure and voters are pushing back in support of countries leaving.

Read the original:
Geert Wilders victory in Dutch elections could be end for European ... - Express.co.uk

Gary Cohn, director of President Donalds Trump National Economic Council, has made a rather interesting statement. Weve been told we need deregulation to grow jobs in this country. We are not anti-regulation. We want smart regulation that allows our financial services to be the envy of the world, he said.

In simple words, Cohns statement means, In the US, regulation on banks will be reduced. At the same, in the EU regulation on banks will be increased and that will be important for investors.

Its remarkable that when we look at statistics by the Federal Reserve of St. Louis inCommercial and Industrial Loans, All Commercial Banks,we see that at the moment total loans stand at $2.099 trillion and the ascending curve of the total amount is close to similar as the one we have seen in the run-up to the crisis from April 2004 to November 2008. The data are, in my opinion, food for thought.

Unsurprisingly, markets reacted positively on Friday with the S&P 500 Financials Index advancing 2 percent. Goldman Sachs rose 4.6 percent and Morgan Stanley reacted similarly with a plus of 5.5 percent, which was the biggest gain since the Trump election.

Besides that, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said European leaders may commit to a union of "different speeds" when they make a major declaration on its future at the next summit in Rome at the end of March, of course without Great Britain. That declaration of Rome should mark the 60th anniversary of the EU and in which they will have to set out the EUs post-Brexit roadmap.

If you ask me, yes this is important for long-term investors notwithstanding it got very little attention in the media.

Merkel said: We certainly learned from the history of the last years, that there will be as well a European Union with different speeds (!), that not all will participate every time in all steps of integration (!). I think this may be in the Rome declaration as well.

Merkel said the idea was to set out a plan for the next ten years of the EU, which has been buffeted by the Eurozone crisis, Brexit, migration, the Ukraine conflict and now faces a new challenge in the form of US President Donald Trump.

By the way, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg, a group of the EU's founding members, also issued a statement on Friday backing a two-speed EU.

On March 25, we can expect a EU Declaration of Rome. Interestingly, the meeting in Rome will come just after the Dutch will have had their general elections on March 15.

Now, suppose the EU heads of state follow, which is to be expected, Mrs. Merkel idea that we could get a EU that should work at different speeds (!) because there is no other choice, then the legitimate question that arises is how could economies of the same union can perform well, not forgetting they all had their own currencies not so long ago, with a single currency whereby the euro has the same value for everybody?

We dont know if ECB PresidentMario Draghi hintedat something like Changes are in the air, but anyway in a prepared speech he gave last Thursday, which was before Mrs. Merkel comments, he stated: The euro area relied heavily on the notion that the integration process would itself create the incentives for sound policies. Faced with stronger competition through the single market and an inability to devalue, governments would be forced to address long-term structural problems and ensure fiscal sustainability. That this did not happen was in part because the single market process stalled

Finally, German Finance Minister Wolfgang Schauble said in the German daily Tagesspiegel: The euro exchange rate is, strictly speaking, too low for the Germaneconomys competitive position.When Draghi embarked on the expansive monetary policy, I told him he would drive up Germanys export surplus...I promised then not to publicly criticize this policy course. But then I dont want to be criticized for the consequences ofthis policy.

Schaubles comments came after last week Peter Navarro, US President Donald Trumps top trade adviser, had toldthe Financial Timesthat Germany was exploiting the US and its EU partners by using a grossly undervalued euro to create a vast trade surplus.

Yes, it looks like there is some change in the air.

Etienne "Hans" Parisisis a bank economist who has advised global billionaires and governments on the financial markets and international investments.

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European Union at 'Different Speeds' May Thwart Long-Term Investors - Newsmax