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Europe Today: 12. napjába lép az iráni háború, európai vezetők stratégiát hiányolnak
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00:14Good morning, it is Wednesday the 11th of March. I'm Maeve McMahon and you're watching Europe
00:19Today, your daily dose of European news and analysis live here on Euronews. Coming up as
00:26the war in Iran enters its 12th day, European leaders are growing increasingly exasperated.
00:32German Chancellor Friedrich Merz says he's becoming deeply concerned about what he calls
00:37an apparent lack of strategy from the United States and Israel. He said that they have no
00:43interest in, he has said he's no interest in a quote endless war. And while you were sleeping
00:48tensions in the Middle East escalated with heavy strikes hitting Iran, Lebanon and the Gulf states,
00:53civilian casualties are rising and in Lebanon, thousands of people have already been displaced.
00:59The US says it's destroyed 16 Iranian mine laying vessels after Pentagon Chief Pete Heggs had warned
01:05that the most intense day of US strikes on Iran was yet to come. For more on the ongoing war
01:10and
01:11Europe's reactions, we're joined here in the studio by our EU news editor, Maria Tadeo. Good morning,
01:16Maria. So a lot to process this morning. Fill us in.
01:18Well, a lot to process because this is still a story, obviously, about war in the region and
01:24energy, which is critical, of course, for the global economy. And once again, is the spotlight
01:30on the Strait of Hormuz and oil. And of course, there are now concerns, increasing concerns. This
01:37is an area that now Iran will target with mines. And obviously, that means that that transportation and
01:44the flows of oil, which need to come out of the Strait, also coming out of the Gulf of Persia,
01:49too,
01:49could be impacted even more severely. And this is one of the most critical locations when it comes
01:54to the global energy market. This is why we're seeing this whiplash and energy prices up and down
02:00on any news related to the ability to get oil out of the region. Now, on that note, yesterday,
02:06President Trump issued a warning in a post on social media in which he said, if the mines,
02:13you know, for some reason are placed and they are not removed for with, so immediately,
02:18the military consequences to Iran will be, quote, at a level never seen before. So obviously,
02:24that's the US responding again, to reports that this is the next stage for Iran when it comes to
02:31the strategy of now escalation, but also chaos with no signs that the regime or the new Ayatollah
02:37is willing to engage for the time being with the US. And the story, as I say, is critical and
02:43it
02:43really matters, not just because of the energy market, the implications for the economy, but also
02:48because it really speaks to the US strategy. You alluded to the German Chancellor saying,
02:53we are confused. Is there a goalpost? Is there a goal? What is the goal? What is the strategy
02:59from the US? And the thing about the energy market is that it never lies. You're either able to get
03:04the flow of oil up and running, or you're not. And if you're not, and the escalation in the Strait
03:09of Hormuz continues to go up, and you do see that tankers become blocked, not only this is going to
03:14have major repercussions in the market, but it also could show, and this is a fundamental point,
03:19that the US, alongside Israel, of course, has gone into a major military operation without all the
03:25details figured out. So this is a critical point at this stage.
03:29And that's why Emmanuel Macron, he's hosting a G7 call today.
03:32Yes, precisely. Of course, we've seen the G7 meet on the finance sphere with the ministers of finance,
03:39then, of course, the energy ministers who met yesterday. But today, this is a meeting that
03:43is going to take place at 3 p.m. Paris time. It is hosted by the French and Emmanuel Macron
03:48because
03:48the French hold the presidency. And of course, President Trump is going to participate now.
03:53Sources close to the lease say that the goal of this meeting is to take stock of the geo-economic
03:59repercussions of this war, and in particular, when it comes to energy. Obviously, there's been a lot
04:04of debate around the idea of releasing strategic oil reserves to really deal with the issues in the
04:10energy market. Although I speak to many analysts who say the issue is not the stocking, really.
04:14The oil is there. The issue is the transportation and the impact on prices. And then to that extent,
04:19however, we also have to keep an eye today on the International Energy Agency because overnight
04:25reports that they could also release and make the biggest single day release of oil, even surpassing
04:32the 182 million barrels that they put out in 2022 when the war in Ukraine broke out to deal with
04:37the
04:38implications and the ramifications in the energy market. But again, one of the fundamental questions
04:42beyond pricing and just logistics, is there a plan really to get oil coming out? And does the U.S.
04:48really have a strategy? And to more confusion, just briefly, yesterday, the U.S. Secretary for
04:52Energy said that they had managed to escort tankers out. Then he deleted it. And it was obvious that no
04:58tanker had been escorted out. So again, there's a lot of confusion, not just in the logistics, but
05:02really, is there a plan? And of course, you had the opportunity to speak to the European
05:06Commissioner for Energy, Dan Jorgensen. He was in Strasbourg yesterday. We can take a look now at that
05:10interview, Maria. This is, of course, a very serious situation. It is not as bad as in February 22,
05:16when Russia attacked Ukraine. At that time, we were more dependent on one single source of our
05:23energy. And it was fossil. It was gas from Russia. Now we are better situated to deal with the
05:27situation. But still, when the world market prices go up, it is a problem for us, which shows us one
05:35thing very clearly. That is, let's get rid of the dependency of fossil fuels. Let's have more
05:41homegrown, clean energy. And of course, the G7 has been holding meetings. There's a lot of speculation
05:46about a release of strategic reserves. Is that something that you think would be helpful at this
05:51stage? It is something that can become relevant. It would help keep the prices down. We are not in a
05:56situation where we have security of supply issues in Europe right now. But of course, the question of
06:04health of the prices are extremely important for our citizens and our industries. And we also need
06:09to be working in solidarity with our partners in the International Energy Agency Network.
06:15So is there going to be a release of these assets? Or is it something that at this point,
06:19there's consensus is a good idea, but not a date? What would trigger it?
06:23That is too early to say we are in the process of analyzing this. But of course, it can happen.
06:29And of course, your job is to ensure energy security for the European Union. You say this is
06:33different to the Russian invasion. But there is a question of pricing. What measures in the short term
06:38can you put forward to deal with the escalation in prices?
06:41Of course, there is a very clear concern for us that the prices are too high for our citizens and
06:47our
06:47industry. That's also why today we've put forward several different measures, both some that has the aim to
06:54help our long term transition, but also some that can work short term. For instance, we've sent a very
06:59clear signal to the member states of the union. And we recommend that you lower the taxes on
07:05electricity. That would make it easier for your industry to compete. It'll make it easier for your
07:10citizens to pay their bills. And it'll be good for the green transition. And you can do that tomorrow.
07:16It's not something where you have to wait for a new legislative proposal to be put forward for long
07:21negotiations and so forth. It can be done short term. And is that the maximum that you contemplate or is
07:26there
07:26more things that you could put on the table if the situation deteriorates? There's definitely more things
07:31that can be put on the table. It's also very clear that there's a big difference between being in a
07:37serious
07:37situation like the one we're in now and being in an emergency like the one we had in 22. And
07:43since we're not
07:44there yet, we're not applying some of the emergency measures that we did in 22. There has been calls now
07:49that
07:50leaders could ask, certainly next week when they meet and they talk about
07:54competitiveness for another review of the ETS. Is that something that you would say, yes,
07:59everything can be reviewed? We are, of course, continuously discussing what to do
08:04with regards to our long term transition in the European Union, whilst at the same time
08:10addressing immediate needs. What's important for me to say is that our fundamental direction
08:16is the right one. We need to move away from fossils. We need to have a green transition. Why?
08:21Because it lowers prices, because it helps us decarbonize, but also because it gives us the energy security
08:27that we so clearly do not have right now. That's the lesson we learned from the situation in Ukraine
08:33when Russia attacked. But it's actually also a lesson that we are reminded now that other geopolitical
08:40events are affecting our price levels in Europe. Of course, you hear the industry saying the issue
08:45is that Europe does not have energy security. You cannot be competitive if you do not have
08:50energy security. Is that an exaggeration or do you look at it and you say, it's a fair point. At
08:55this point, Europe does not have that level of security. No, unfortunately, it's very clear that we
08:59are not independent. We import for more than 370 billion euros fossils every year. That's not
09:07sustainable for our climate, certainly, but not for our economy either. We need to use more homegrown
09:13energy. The good news is that that homegrown energy will also be cheaper than the fossil
09:18alternative. So not only will it help us to become more independent and therefore be good for our
09:22security, it'll also be good for our economy. Now, this is not something that might happen in the
09:29future and that we're waiting for. This is something that we are already doing. So last year, we deployed a
09:35record of 89 gigawatts of new renewables that saved us more than 30 billion euros, just this
09:41newly deployed renewables. And this year, we will do the same. So we are moving in the right direction.
09:47But when are you going to see that manifested in prices, however, especially given this volatility,
09:51because the direction of prices has been up, certainly for the past week. The deployment of
09:55new renewables brings the prices down. This means that had we not had the renewables that we have,
09:59the prices will have been much higher. That's one of the reasons why we don't see the same
10:03effects now as we did in 22. So when prices are set for electricity, for instance, the most cheap
10:10energy bits first, and that's the renewables. Then sometimes if you don't have enough renewables
10:15in the system, and it's the fossils that set the price, the gas that sets the price, that's when the
10:21prices go up. Also on the renewables and the less hours, the better we can become at having less hours
10:29of the fossil setting the price, the better of course it is. So that's one of the reasons I know
10:34it's a bit complicated, but that's one of the reasons why we are in a better situation now than
10:38we were in 22. The Russian president has said that Russia is ready to intervene in this market to
10:43stabilize prices. When you hear that, what does that make you think? What does that allude to you?
10:48We absolutely do not want Russian energy. Russia is conducting a terrible war on our friends in
10:55Ukraine, and we do not want to help indirectly finance that war by buying Russian energy.
11:01Russia's weaponized energy against us. Russia's blackmailed member states of the European Union
11:06using energy. So for us, we've said no more to this, and that is a standpoint that we will stick
11:13to.
11:16Now, the war in Iran has spread to Lebanon, where Israel has vowed to root out the Iran-backed
11:21Shia militia Hezbollah. Thousands of people are on the move, mostly from South Lebanon,
11:27from a war that has already caused almost 600 deaths in the country. In a last-ditch effort
11:32to stop the violence, the Lebanese government asked for direct talks with Israel through a
11:37U.S. intermediary. So far, the U.S. and Israel have rebuffed the proposal, albeit not officially
11:42saying the government should focus on disarming Hezbollah. Euron News' senior editor and Middle East
11:47expert Sophie Claudet spoke to Lebanon's energy minister, Joe Sadi. Here's what he had to say.
11:52This was indeed a very courageous initiative by our president. But as of this time, I am not aware
12:04of any response yet.
12:06But don't you think it's a little too late? As per the 2024 ceasefire agreement between Lebanon
12:12and Israel, the Lebanese government was supposed to disarm Hezbollah. This hasn't happened.
12:17And we've seen now what's happening.
12:20Obviously, I think everybody would wish that the implementation of this would happen much
12:28quicker. But this has to do on one side with the availability of the capabilities of the Lebanese
12:38army. It has to do also, you know, the behavior of Israel during that whole period.
12:48But does the army have even the capabilities of disarming Hezbollah, which is a state within
12:53the states?
12:54Based on what the, I'm not a military expert, but based on what the army says, they do not
13:00have all the capabilities they need to do this by their own, by their own account, which is
13:07why, if you're in anger, there was a plan to do it in multiple phases.
13:12Prime Minister Netanyahu has been very clear in his will to completely root out Hezbollah.
13:17And I may remind our viewers that Hezbollah is not only a military faction, it's also a political
13:24and social movement that is deeply rooted in Lebanon. Do you think that Israel can root
13:29out Hezbollah?
13:30The military side of Hezbollah has now been declared illegal by our government. The political
13:37and Prime Minister did say that if Hezbollah was to date of that purely as a political party,
13:48then he would have no problem with it.
13:52But I understand the Lebanese authorities can live with Hezbollah being a political
13:58social movement, but Israel is increasingly showing signs that it cannot. And Hezbollah
14:04is an ideology. How can you defeat an ideology?
14:07The way forward is to show what the state can do, deliver basic goods and services on all
14:17fronts, health, social, education, etc. But for the state to be able to deliver this, it
14:24needs financial, it needs political willingness, which I think it has, but it also needs financial
14:29means. And unfortunately, Hezbollah dragging us again back into the war, it makes the availability
14:39of international funding that much more difficult and distant in time.
14:46Do you think if the Iranian regime was completely defeated, that would significantly weaken Hezbollah
14:51as a movement, as an ideology, as a popular movement in Lebanon?
14:56The lifeline, there is a financial lifeline for Hezbollah coming from Iran that said it's
15:01all publicly. There is a military one probably that has severely decreased since the regime
15:07chain in Syria, but certainly on the financial front as well. And so any reduction, any major
15:17reduction, both on the military side and the financial side, in terms of lifeline to Hezbollah
15:23certainly would weaken it.
15:29And with the situation in the Middle East getting worse and thousands now internally displaced,
15:33with some stadiums even turned into shelters, the EU Agency for Asylum is preparing for
15:39a potential humanitarian crisis. Our Jakubianus reports.
15:44War. War never changes. But while the news cycle obsesses over tactical maps, your reporter
15:51is looking at the people. President Trump has called the conflict
15:56a short-term excursion.
15:57But if he's wrong, Europe could deal with a refugee crisis of an unprecedented magnitude.
16:02And history shows that when a home becomes a battlefield, people move towards safety and
16:08existing ties. So where could they go?
16:12Currently, roughly 4 million Iranians live abroad, and most of them migrated during or after the
16:191979 revolution. In Europe, Germany leads with over 300,000 people, followed by the UK and
16:26Sweden, with each housing around 100,000. In 2025, only 8,000 Iranians sought asylum in Europe, which is
16:36less than 1% of all applications. But with a population of 90 million, the EU Asylum Agency
16:43warns that even partial instability could trigger a massive refugee crisis. However, the Agency also calls this
16:51scenario highly speculative, stressing it is too early for firm predictions.
16:56But you should know this isn't only about Iran. It is about the whole region.
17:01Iran is already one of the world's largest refugee hosts. A home to over 1.5 million of them, and
17:09many more with an undocumented status.
17:11Most of refugees come from Afghanistan and Iraq, and are now caught in just another war zone. And the ripple
17:19effect is spreading.
17:21According to the International Organization for Migration, over 660,000 people have been displaced in Lebanon because of the conflict.
17:30And right now, no one knows yet how, or when, the war will end. But for Europe, it seems that
17:38the consequences are no longer distant.
17:45And it is in this very context that MEPs are gathering in Strasbourg this week.
17:50European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is set to address the Parliament this morning.
17:54For more on that, we can now cross over to the European Parliament in Strasbourg and bring in your news
17:59as Marit Gwynne-Jones.
18:00Good morning, Marit. So Ursula von der Leyen will take centre stage today at a very tense time for the
18:05European Union and also for inter-institutional relations.
18:08Tell us more.
18:11Yes, Maeve. Expect a fiery debate when the Commission President joins the hemicycle later this morning.
18:19For two reasons, really. Because firstly, members of this Parliament have been telling me in recent days that they feel
18:27that von der Leyen has been really overstepping her mandate in response to the conflict in the Middle East.
18:32That she's been wading into foreign policy when she shouldn't, encroaching on the role of the EU foreign policy chief,
18:39Kaya Callas.
18:40I remember that von der Leyen was the compromise candidate back in 2019.
18:43But her critics say that since then, she's been using crises like this one to accumulate power and to expand
18:49her mandate into a more geopolitical one.
18:51And in fact, von der Leyen did deliver a speech earlier this week where she essentially laid out a new
18:55vision for the way that EU conducts its foreign policy,
18:59saying it has to stop being a custodian of the old world order, she said, and that it essentially faces
19:05two choices.
19:06It either clings on, she said, to what used to make it strong or it adapts to a more power
19:12politics world by pursuing a more interest-based foreign policy.
19:16We've had quite a harsh response from socialist voices.
19:19The European Council President, Antonio Costa, saying yesterday that EU still needs to be a standard bearer.
19:25Also, the Vice President of the Commission, Teresa Ribeira, another socialist voice, saying yesterday in response to von der Leyen's
19:33speech,
19:34she said it was not the most adequate manner to express herself.
19:38But yes, she is fully committed, of course, to the international order.
19:43We've also seen a response from the Spanish government saying that the EU has to uphold the rules-based order.
19:48So, Maeve, I think we can expect these tensions to really play out when von der Leyen addresses the hemicycle
19:54this morning.
19:55Indeed. Marit Gwynne-Jones, thank you so much for that live update there from Strasbourg.
19:59But that does bring this edition of Europe Today to an end.
20:03For more news analysis, do visit euronews.com.
20:05Thank you so much, though, for tuning in.
20:07As always, take care and see you very soon on Euronews.
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