The Mediterranean of tomorrow

German foreign policy makers are calling for the Bundeswehr’s deployment to Libya. The influence of European powers is dwindling

BERLIN/TRIPOLI (Own report) - New demands for deploying the Bundeswehr to Libya are being raised in Berlin. Already last week, Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, was pleading for the deployment of the navy or air force. On the weekend, Johann Wadephul, the CDU’s foreign and military policy expert declared, “we may have to face difficult security policy tasks.” At the same time, the revival of the EU’s “Sophia” naval operation to prevent arms trafficking to Libya is being discussed. Foreign Minister Heiko Maas announced a UN Security Council resolution to enforce the arms embargo against the country, albeit apparently without material sanctions. If they were imposed, they would affect countries whose cooperation Germany depends on for its Middle East policy. According to experts, countries such as Russia and Turkey are replacing European powers as major influential external forces in Libya. The country could thus be “a preview of the Mediterranean of tomorrow.”