The Middle East is being rocked to its authoritarian core, as pro-democracy protesters
defy Hosni Mubarak’s regime for the eighth day in a row. They want an end to his 31-year-rule and, to judge by their continued defiance, are unlikely to accept anything else than his
departure. The events, however, have placed European governments in a quandary. Should they back the protests? Support what has been a friendly regime? Or sit uncomfortably on the fence, talking
about the need to show restraint and start reforms but standing back from actually supporting regime change, in case the transition becomes violent or the outcome problematic?
So far, it looks like the EU prefers sitting on the proverbial fence. As Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, who writes for El Pais, notes:
‘After a week of hesitations and deliberations, the EU Ministers met yesterday.
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