In Geopolitics Today - Thursday, November 25th
France Signs Bilateral Cooperation Agreement with Italy and Australia Sends Troops to Solomon Islands
France Signs Bilateral Cooperation Agreement with Italy
A German coalition government comprising of the Social Democrats, the Greens, and the Free Democrats could prove to be a boost to the European project. The EU’s power relationships are shifting following the exit of the Christian Democrats from the German government. Meanwhile, France and Italy have been preparing a wide-ranging bilateral agreement which promises a convergence of French and Italian positions in matters of foreign policy, defence, migration, economy, education, research and culture. The Quirinale Treaty, as it is called, is a concrete result stemming from a new chapter in the cooperation enjoyed by France and Italy in recent months, and will better position both countries to jointly influence European affairs in the years ahead.
A first glimpse of warming Franco-Italian ties came last year, when the two managed to get German agreement on common debt. Now, French President Emmanuel Macron is accompanied by government officials as they arrive in Rome to sign the Quirinale Treaty. Macron has found an ally in his Italian counterpart as both seek changes to Europe as a bloc at a time when the bloc’s largest economy is undergoing a power transition. The treaty forms a strong symbol of a developing Paris-Rome axis which may shift European policy to be more attentive to the interests of Southern European member states. While exact details of the agreement text are not yet publicly available, the deal will likely see the two countries policies more closely aligned across many fields. This comes on top of an already close economic relationship, as France and Italy share an overall trade volume of €82 billion (2019).
The treaty will have industrial and strategic cooperation between the two European nations at its heart while also working to unite two in their commitment to bolster the European project. The agreement seems to have emerged in part due to the personal rapport developed between Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi and French President Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders appear to get along as the two are reported to have held four talks since Draghi took office in February 2021, with both sharing a penchant for strengthening the European Union. Both have also discussed the matter of empowering the EU with US President Biden, who has expressed support by stating that a unified defence policy throughout the EU is within the interest of the US. And given Germany’s diverse new coalition government might struggle to agree on matters, France and Italy will be much better positioned to jointly take a more active role in determining the path forward for the entire bloc.
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Australia Sends Troops to Solomon Islands
Australia is sending an attaché of police, troops and diplomats to the Solomon Islands amidst anti-government demonstrations in the island nation. The move by Canberra is said to be at the invitation of the Solomon Islands government, which is seeking aid to supress renewed anti-government demonstrations. Protests and riots were taking place in defiance of a government-mandated lockdown and have led to increased domestic turbulence. Australia’s response to a request for help will be a deployment of 23 federal police officers, around 50 security personnel, and 43 armed forces personnel. Moreover, the troops are accompanied by at least five diplomats and a patrol boat.
People gathered in the capital, Honiara, to demand the resignation of Solomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare over a host of issues. But after meeting heavy police resistance, the protest descended into rioting, and led to a part of the parliamentary complex being burned to the ground. Other buildings damaged or destroyed included a Bank of South Pacific’s branch and several shops owned and operated by Chinese residents. Despite increased police patrols through Honiara, protesters have maintained a presence on the streets, stretching thin the capabilities of local law enforcement. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the request for Australian assistance is a legal move conducted under a bilateral security treaty.
This is not the first time in recent years that the leadership in Honiara requests Australia’s help to deal with domestic unrest. Longstanding inter-island rivalries between Honiara and Malaita have prompted Australian forces to deploy to the Solomon Islands before, as was the case between 2003 to 2017. This time Morrison said the national security committee of cabinet decided on sending security forces and diplomatic personnel to the embattled Sogavare. At the same time, Morrison has said the presence of Australian troops is meant to provide “stability and security,” and that Australia does not intend to intervene in the “internal affairs of the Solomon Islands.”
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