Europe and the Arab Spring
French Prime Minister Pierre Mendès-France, who in the 1950’s withdrew his country from Vietnam and Tunisia, famously said that governing is choosing. Europe’s choice now is clear: mobilize to help its North African neighbors open up their economies and societies, or start beefing up its coastguards and manning the patrol boats.
PARIS – In 1989, the wall separating the two halves of Europe suddenly collapsed. Within the space of a few months, a hitherto seemingly immutable order gave way to commotion and impatience. At first, the old countries of Europe were paralyzed with fear of the unknown and anxiety about immigration – and then they seized with both hands the opportunity that history had offered to them.