EU Urged to Stop Lecturing Developing Countries

The bloc needs to show more respect towards developing countries, according to Charles Michel

The European Union should refrain from lecturing other parts of the world and instead cultivate a more respectful approach towards its partners. This is essential to counter the growing influence of Russia and China, according to European Council President Charles Michel.

In an interview with the Financial Times published on Friday, Michel acknowledged that the bloc has become convinced of its own righteousness and often fails to understand perspectives different from its own.

He observed that the EU tends to adopt a patronizing tone when communicating with developing countries with which it has signed strategic, trade, or political cooperation agreements.

“We are not always very good in terms of communication, in terms of explanation, in terms of talking with them and showing a certain respect to them,” Michel said.

He also suggested that the EU should reconsider its approach to enforcing its standards and regulations on trading partners, using fishing rules as an example. 

“We use the vocabulary: yellow card or red card,” he said, highlighting that “the words we use are really humiliating because we give the impression that we are a player on the pitch and at the same time the referee.”

The EC President’s remarks came as dozens of world leaders gathered in Kazan, Russia this week to attend the 16th BRICS Summit. The guest list included the presidents of Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Türkiye – a NATO member and EU candidate country.

Michel suggested that the presence of these leaders, who maintain close economic and military ties with the EU, at the BRICS Summit indicated their desire to send a message to the global community.

“One of the emirs in the Gulf countries once told me if there is a vacuum, very quickly someone will fill the vacuum. And if you are not there, others are there,” Michel recalled, emphasizing the need for the EU to adopt a new strategy to attract countries seeking to diversify their economic and security alliances.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov stressed earlier this week that the BRICS group is not based on “friendship against anyone” and unlike the EU, its members are not bound by mutual obligations.

He explained that BRICS represents an “association of countries that share common values and common guidelines” and are committed to the universal principles of mutual respect and mutual benefit. The EU, on the other hand, is an organization with clearly defined rules, binding documents and a “whole set of mutual obligations,” Peskov said.