Speech delivered by Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, Oliver Várhelyi.

“Dear Madam President, Honourable Members of this House,

Thank you for this exchange on the political developments in this important partner and close neighbour for the European Union. It falls very timely in the run-up to the 17 December legislative elections, a key appointment for Tunisia in this delicate transitional period.

We know that political transitions are challenging. The one that the Tunisian people started in 2011 makes no exception. This is why the European Union considers crucial to continue to side with the Tunisian people, as we have been doing during the past decade, not only economically, but also politically.

At the same time, our support has been based on shared principles and values that the Jasmin Revolution brought along. We firmly believe that the Tunisians want to preserve these values.

For this reason, the European Union has not hidden its apprehensions regarding some of the measures taken in the past few months in Tunisia. Our message has been very clear since the beginning, privately and publicly when needed.

As High Representative/Vice-President [Josep] Borrell stated in the declarations on behalf of the European Union in the past months, the respect of democratic acquis, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms are paramount. We remain convinced that these are essential for the success of any political process and the long-term prosperity of Tunisia.”