What is Belgium’s position on the EU’s Enlargement to Turkey
Sample solution
Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Sample Answer
Sample Answer
Executive Summary
Belgium’s position on the EU’s enlargement to Turkey is one that is cautious and conditional. Belgium recognizes the importance of maintaining good relations with Turkey, given their historical ties and economic interests. However, Belgium also has concerns regarding human rights issues and the rule of law in Turkey. As such, Belgium believes that any further enlargement negotiations with Turkey should be based on strict conditionality, focusing on democratic reforms and respect for human rights. Belgium also supports a differentiated approach to EU-Turkey relations, taking into account the specific challenges and interests of each member state.
Identification of Interests/Problems
Historical and Economic Ties: Belgium acknowledges the historical and cultural links between Belgium and Turkey, as well as the economic benefits of trade in goods and services. Turkey is an important trading partner for Belgium, particularly in sectors such as textiles, chemicals, and machinery.
Human Rights Concerns: Belgium has concerns regarding the state of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey. Issues such as freedom of expression, media freedom, and independence of the judiciary are areas of concern for Belgium.
Security Concerns: Belgium recognizes the importance of cooperation with Turkey in addressing common security challenges, such as terrorism and migration. However, Belgium also has concerns regarding Turkey’s military interventions in Syria and its role in the wider region.
EU Accession Process: Belgium acknowledges the challenges and inconsistencies in the EU’s accession process. It recognizes the need for a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of Turkey’s progress in meeting the accession criteria, including political reforms and alignment with EU values.
Comparison of Possible Alternative Measures
Full Membership: Some member states advocate for continuing the accession negotiations with Turkey with the goal of full membership. This approach emphasizes engagement and dialogue as a means to encourage democratic reforms and improve human rights in Turkey.
Suspended Accession Talks: Other member states argue for suspending or terminating the accession talks with Turkey due to concerns over human rights violations and the lack of progress in democratic reforms. This approach seeks to send a strong message to Turkey regarding the importance of respecting EU values.
Enhanced Partnership: An alternative option is to pursue an enhanced partnership with Turkey, focusing on areas of mutual interest such as trade, security, and migration. This approach recognizes the strategic importance of Turkey while acknowledging the challenges in achieving full membership.
Reference to Wider International Relations
Regional Conflicts: Belgium recognizes the impact of Turkey’s involvement in regional conflicts, such as its role in the Syrian civil war. This can have implications for Belgium’s interests in terms of security and stability in the region.
NATO: Turkey’s membership in NATO is relevant to Belgium’s interests as a member of the alliance. Belgium supports close cooperation within NATO but also acknowledges the need for discussions regarding differing perspectives on security issues.
Cyprus Issue: Belgium acknowledges the ongoing dispute between Cyprus and Turkey, which affects regional stability and EU-Turkey relations. Belgium supports efforts for a peaceful resolution to the Cyprus issue through dialogue and negotiations.
Recommendations
Conditional Engagement: Belgium recommends continuing the accession negotiations with Turkey but with strict conditionality. Progress should be assessed based on concrete reforms in areas such as human rights, rule of law, freedom of expression, and media freedom.
Differentiated Approach: Belgium supports a differentiated approach to EU-Turkey relations, taking into account the specific challenges and interests of each member state. This would allow for tailored engagement based on individual concerns and priorities.
References
European Commission. (2020). Turkey 2020 Report.
European Council. (9). Council conclusions on enlargement stabil and association process – Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey.
European Union External Action. (2020). EU-Turkey Relations.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium. (2020). Turkey.
