Josep Borrell as Europe’s racist ‘gardener’

The highest EU diplomat’s toxic analogy of Europe as a backyard and the world as an invading jungle inverts historical past.

European Union international coverage chief Josep Borrell at a casual summit of the EU in Prague, Czech Republic, on October 7, 2022. (Photograph by Joe Klamar / AFP) (AFP)

Listening to Europe’s seniormost diplomat Josep Borrell on the inauguration of the brand new European Diplomatic Academy in Bruges, Belgium, final Thursday, I may solely shake my head in marvel and outrage, as he in contrast Europe to a backyard and the world to a jungle – a beastly and scary jungle.

So far as unhealthy speeches go, his rant wouldn’t have merited a lot commentary if it weren’t for its undiplomatic insensitivity and racism. It was brief on knowledge and lengthy on clichés and contradictions. It was badly structured and poorly delivered.

And but, for a excessive consultant of the European Union for international affairs and safety coverage, this was a brand new low. Simply when one thought European politics couldn’t get any worse, Borrell spoke his “reality”. In his paternalistic smugness, he successfully poisoned the younger minds of Europe’s future diplomats with utter vanity, conceit and supremacism.

However first, the informal sexism. He began by complimenting “Federica” – his predecessor and the academy’s director Federica Mogherini – for her youthful appears to be like with the gallantry of a Catalan bull. No pun supposed in fact, for the reason that Catalans want donkeys to bulls.

In Trumpian trend, the diplomat then swiftly gauged the world as if it had been a purple rag that should be confronted head-on, asking the younger souls in his viewers to watch out for the approaching risks going through Europe from all sides. He pontificated that “Europe is a backyard” however “many of the remainder of the world is a jungle, and the jungle may invade the backyard”.

The little backyard, he educated them, can not defend itself by constructing a wall. Why? “As a result of the jungle has a robust progress capability, and the wall will by no means be excessive sufficient in an effort to shield the backyard.”

So, what’s the answer? Then got here the punch line: “The gardeners must go to the jungle. Europeans must be far more engaged with the remainder of the world. In any other case, the remainder of the world will invade us, by other ways and means.”

I may go on and on, citing extra from this infantile and totally dreadful metaphor, however I suppose you get the image. The underside line: Great affluent and free Europe is an exception in our in any other case vicious world, and it gained’t survive for lengthy except its “gardeners” go on the market to the jungle and assist civilise the world.

All his humbug about gardeners jogged my memory of The Fixed Gardener, a John le Carre e-book and film impressed by real-life occasions a couple of pharmaceutical agency that examined a brand new drug on poor locals in Africa, killing or maiming a lot of them.

In actual life, European engagement with Africa and the world has gone far past pharmaceutical testing to a complete plethora of pillages from colonialism, slavery and genocide to shadow wars and the theft of pure assets.

However European reminiscences could be at occasions brief and selective – even in relation to their very own historical past. If certainly Europe is a backyard, it's one which’s been tilled over a continent-wide cemetery. Lest Borrell forgot concerning the centuries of spiritual, nationalist and imperial wars, together with the 2 world wars and plenty of civil wars – just like the Spanish civil conflict and its bloody 36-year dictatorship that solely resulted in 1975 and that the Catalan diplomat must be notably accustomed to.

That’s to not say there isn’t a lot to rejoice. Europe has performed very nicely for the reason that second world conflict when it comes to unity, safety and prosperity, however solely after defeating racism and fascism. However the rise and unfold of neo-fascist and far-right politics all through the continent, and its electoral victories in necessary nations like Italy, are causes for warning, not conceit. However then once more, if the racist tone of Borrell – supposedly a socialist – is something to go by, what distinction does it make whether or not Europe is led by the Left or the Proper? Tomato, tomahto.

Borrell was additionally fallacious when he claimed, in the identical speech, that Europe has grow to be stronger and extra unbiased of america for the reason that Russian invasion of Ukraine. Quite the opposite. A weaker, colder, extra weak EU has grow to be extra subservient to Washington.

But the smug diplomat sounded notably delusional concerning the implications of the conflict because it grinds on. Whereas Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned of a better conflict and on the identical time expressed readiness for diplomacy, Borrell selected to dismiss any diplomatic answer in the meanwhile. As an alternative, he threatened that the Russian military could be “annihilated” if Moscow had been to make use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, with none thought as to what that will imply to the survival of Europe.

Like his racist rant, this reckless escalation was totally applicable language for Europe’s prime diplomat to make use of whereas talking to these aspiring to hitch his occupation, or to anybody else for that matter.

And to finish his inspirational, motivational huge discuss with a last knowledge, Borrell instructed the possible envoys to boost their heads excessive and be good gardeners not solely of Europe however of the “jungle”, wishing them joyful diplomatic safaris.

All joking apart, Borrell’s racist discourse is extremely harmful within the present state of worldwide affairs. It should be condemned in Europe at the start. Europe deserves higher representatives. The world deserves higher from Europe.

All of us harvest what we sow.