An opportunity for Greece
The proposal by Nikolas Sarkozy, France’s president-elect, for the formation of a Mediterranean forum, that will group the states of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, was originally criticized as a diversion tactic aimed at easing disappointment over his negative stance toward Turkey’s European Union ambitions. However, Sarkozy’s proposal has drawn international interest, as people realize the strategic implications of such a forum. Forming a Mediterranean Union will enhance economic prosperity and democracy in Greece’s neighboring states. It will also help curb illegal migration and terrorism. Within the EU, the forum will add to the weight of southern European nations that inevitably declined after the bloc’s northern and eastern expansion. Finally, it will bolster security in a very volatile region. Greece has everything to gain from such a development.
