The contentious EU-Tunisia deal is finally here. But what exactly is in it

Subscribe here: https://bit.ly/eudebates Following weeks of intense negotiations, the European Union and Tunisia have finally signed a memorandum of understanding covering topics ranging from migration to economic cooperation. The deal was unveiled on Sunday after a meeting in Tunis between Tunisian President Kais Saied and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was joined by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte. "In times of geopolitical uncertainties, it is important to deepen cooperation with our strategic partners," von der Leyen said, without taking any questions from the press. The memorandum's official presentation had been preceded by a flurry of speculation and media reports over how much taxpayers' money the European Union, a staunch supporter of human rights, would be willing to disburse to Tunisia, whose government has been repeatedly accused – including by the European Parliament– of cracking down on freedom of expression, judicial independence and civil society. President Saied, in particular, has been criticised for steering the country back into authoritarianism and spreading racist claims against African migrants using talking points that echo the great replacement, the far-right (and baseless) conspiracy theory that proclaims elites are actively replacing native populations with black people. Said drew a stark rebuke from the United Nations after he alleged in February that "hordes of illegal migrants" arriving from Sub-Saharan countries were part of a "criminal plan to change the composition of the demographic landscape of Tunisia" and were the source "of violence, unacceptable crimes and practices." But on Sunday, von der Leyen, Rutte and Meloni glossed over the controversy and, following the motto of "the end justifies the means," took a pragmatic approach to tackling one of the EU's most pressing dilemmas: migration. Here's everything we know so far. What's in the memorandum? On paper, the memorandum of understanding is a declaration of political intentions made jointly by the European Union and Tunisia to improve their bilateral relations and address common challenges in a "strategic and comprehensive" manner. The text is not binding and does not create any obligations in and of itself. However, it presents a series of action plans that will be gradually fleshed out, turned into legal instruments and approved by member states before being implemented. The plans are split into five thematic pillars: macro-economic stability, economy and trade, the green transition, people-to-people contacts and migration. Each category features different investment and cooperation projects, many of which will involve the direct disbursement of funds from the common EU budget. How much money is foreseen? The memorandum is vague on financial figures, which could change according to developments on the ground, but some preliminary numbers have already emerged. One of them is €150 million, the amount of money the EU intends to provide as budgetary support for the Tunisian government, which has for the past years struggled to rein in its public finances. The country is considered to be on the verge of bankruptcy as a result of the devastating havoc wreaked by the COVID-19 pandemic, rising inflation, a worldwide swell in commodity prices, high unemployment and an exodus of foreign investment caused by continued democratic backsliding. Brussels fears the free-falling economy might soon collapse and further exacerbate Tunisia's internal instability, pushing people out of the country and towards the bloc's external borders. The €150-million envelope is meant to avoid that worst-case scenario and ensure the Tunisian government has enough liquidity to ensure the provision of basic services and lay the groundwork for economic reforms. Additionally, the memorandum foresees €307.6 million for the development of ELMED, a transmission line between Tunisia and Italy to trade low-cost renewable electricity, and up to €150 million for the construction of Medusa, a submarine cable that will use optical fibre technology to connect 11 Mediterranean countries. These projects will combine grants from the EU budget and loans provided by the European Investment Bank (EIB), meaning some sums will have to be paid back. Stay connected with us! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eudebates.tv/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/eudebates Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eudebates.tv/ #eudebates the unique initiative aiming to promote debate, dialogue, knowledge, participation and communication among citizens. #Migration #Tunisia #migrants #Libya #illegalmigration #migrantworkers #FRONTEX #mediterranean #Brussels #Italy #Meloni #Giorgia_Meloni #Greece

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