Borrell apologises for controversial metaphor but defends speech

After days of mounting worldwide backlash, Josep Borrell, the European Union’s outspoken overseas coverage chief, has apologised for his controversial remarks by which he described Europe as an idyllic “backyard” of prosperity and the remainder of the world as largely a “jungle.”

“Some have misinterpreted the metaphor as ‘colonial Euro-centrism’,” Borrell wrote in a weblog publish on Tuesday night. “I’m sorry if some have felt offended.”

However he didn’t reject the determine of speech and as a substitute doubled down on it, arguing the time period jungle is an apt illustration of the lawlessness and dysfunction that at present rule world politics.

“My reference to ‘jungle’ has no racist, cultural or geographical connotation,” the diplomat mentioned. “Sadly, the ‘jungle’ is in all places, together with right now in Ukraine.”

The controversy dates again to final Thursday, when Borrell addressed an viewers on the European Diplomatic Academy in Bruges, Belgium.

“Europe is a backyard. We’ve constructed a backyard. Every little thing works. It’s the greatest mixture of political freedom, financial prosperity and social cohesion that the humankind has been capable of construct – the three issues collectively,” Borrell mentioned through the occasion.

“The remainder of the world,” he went on, “shouldn’t be precisely a backyard. Many of the remainder of the world is a jungle, and the jungle might invade the backyard.”

Borrell then appeared to confer with EU ambassadors as “gardeners” and urged them to “go to the jungle,” that’s to hold out their diplomatic work all over the world and advance the bloc’s geopolitical agenda.

“A pleasant small backyard surrounded by excessive partitions with a purpose to stop the jungle from coming in shouldn’t be going to be an answer. As a result of the jungle has a robust development capability, and the wall won’t ever be excessive sufficient with a purpose to shield the backyard,” he mentioned.

“Europeans must be way more engaged with the remainder of the world. In any other case, the remainder of the world will invade us, by alternative ways and means.”

Borrell’s feedback have been initially overshadowed by his blunt prediction, voiced throughout the identical occasion, that the Russian military could be “annihilated” if it have been to make use of nuclear weapons towards Ukraine.

However over the weekend, the “backyard vs jungle” metaphor gained traction throughout social media, fuelling backlash towards the diplomat for what many noticed as condescending, out-of-touch and racist undertones and a stark reflection of the Western sphere’s superiority complicated over the International South.

Video clips on Twitter obtained a whole bunch of hundreds of views. Worldwide media, such because the New York Instances and Al Jazeera, provided essential protection of the fallout.

The United Arab Emirates summoned the performing head of the EU delegation within the nation and requested for explanations over the “inappropriate and discriminatory” remarks.

Marc Botenga, a Belgian MEP from the Left, mentioned Borrell’s phrases have been “rooted in colonialism and racism.”

On Monday morning, when requested in regards to the rising criticism towards his remarks, Borrell mentioned he was “very okay” and that “day by day is as a lot as intense because the earlier one.”

Standing his floor

By Tuesday night, as backlash continued, the diplomat, who’s affiliated with the socialist celebration, provided a cautious apology however stood his floor and caught to the metaphor.

“The metaphor of ‘the backyard’ and ‘the jungle’ shouldn’t be my invention. Some really dislike it as a result of, amongst others, it has been utilized by US neo-conservatives, however I’m removed from this college of political thought,” he wrote in his private weblog.

“Regrettably, the world by which we dwell right now seems to be an increasing number of like a ‘jungle’ and fewer and fewer like a ‘backyard’, as a result of in lots of components of the world, the legislation of the strongest is eroding agreed worldwide norms.”

Borrell mentioned Europe had managed to switch centuries of battle with lasting peace, cooperation and the rule of legislation, whereas different international locations outdoors the continent, corresponding to Russia, have been resorting to “drive, intimation and blackmail to get their method.”

“I even have sufficient expertise to know that neither Europe nor ‘the West’ is ideal and that some international locations of ‘the West’ have at instances violated worldwide legality,” he admitted.

The EU’s overseas coverage chief celebrated the current decision of the United Nations Normal Meeting by which 143 international locations voted to sentence Russia’s unlawful annexation of 4 Ukrainian areas. 

Solely 5 international locations voted towards the textual content, whereas 35 abstained.

“This [resolution] reveals there are a lot of all over the world who need a rules-based system, not one ruled by a ‘may makes proper’ perspective,” Borrell wrote in his weblog publish.

“It follows that ‘gardeners,’ those that need to construct a peaceable and lawful order, in all places ought to unite and work collectively to beat again ‘the jungle.’”