“I gathered my entire family together in one room to protect us from the indiscriminate gunfire.” That was how a father from Tripoli, Libya, was quoted in the media last May, when rival militia factions were engaged in heavy fighting following the killing of a militia leader in the Libyan capital. This was the worst outbreak of violence in the city for years. The tensions in and around Tripoli lasted until just a few weeks ago. And despite a ceasefire that has been in place since mid-September, the security situation remains fragile.

In precisely this situation, it is essential that we, Germany and the European Union, are playing our part in stabilising one of the longest and most complex conflicts in the Mediterranean region through EUNAVFOR MED IRINI. After all, this EU operation is not merely about ships, aircraft or mandate numbers. It concerns one thing above all, and that is responsibility. Responsibility for peace and security in the Mediterranean region, for stability in our European neighbourhood, and for the practical implementation and monitoring of the UN arms embargo against Libya.

Operation EUNAVFOR MED IRINI has been monitoring this UN arms embargo adopted by the Security Council since 2020. IRINI also helps to observe illegal exports of crude oil and petroleum products – important components for peace and stability in the entire region. Because one thing is clear – unless we stop the flow of arms and funding to the parties to the conflict, there can be no peace. In this regard, IRINI delivers more than is always perceived. Since the start of the operation five years ago, it has requested information from over 20,000 vessels and inspected over 30 suspicious cargo vessels, confiscating the cargo in several cases and thus preventing concrete supplies of arms to Libya.

Germany provides staff personnel to the headquarters in Rome and a maritime patrol aircraft. In this way, not only are we playing our part in the EU context, we are also underlining our commitment to transatlantic burden-sharing. I would like to take this opportunity to expressly thank all the soldiers who are helping to foster security at sea, on land or in the air for us and our Bundeswehr in the Mediterranean region and in Germany.

Fellow members of this House, EUNAVFOR MED IRINI is a joint European project comprised of 27 Member States under European command in accordance with international law who together demonstrate that we favour the law over despotism and cooperation over confrontation. And we do so together in Europe.

It is good that such missions are always fiercely debated in this chamber. Whenever we, the German Bundestag, issue a mandate for potentially dangerous international missions, respect for our soldiers, for the men and women who are deployed worldwide on behalf of our country, dictates that we discuss this mandate in depth. However, I would like to remind you that the deployment of German armed forces in multinational missions and operations does not merely serve the abstract interests of other people. It is in our own interests and serves our own security. After all, if the Mediterranean region becomes more instable, if weapons are circulating freely, if state structures continue to crumble in North Africa, than we, too, will feel this directly in Europe, including in Germany. We will feel the impact of forced migration flows, organised crime and new geopolitical tensions. In other words, IRINI is not a distant operation or merely a way to practise European solidarity – it actually protects our very own security interests.

That is why the Federal Government is requesting that this mandate be extended for a further year in almost exactly the same form as before. The capabilities to be deployed, the legal basis and the staff ceiling of 300 soldiers are to remain unchanged. In addition to what was agreed at the last mandate extension, the side task of gathering information on other illegal activities is to be added to the mandate. This will enable us to improve the maritime situation picture in the Mediterranean as a whole and to play a more wide-ranging role. The operational area is also to be slightly extended. The main aim here is to ensure that vessels that enter or leave Libyan territorial waters are not able to simply circumvent the operational area.

Fellow members of this House, security in the Mediterranean also means security for Europe. That is why Germany has supported this European operation since the start. And this support has not only taken the form of ships and reconnaissance aircraft, but has also entailed diplomatic mediation efforts. Since 2020, we have been supporting the United Nations’ efforts via the Berlin Process. The fact is that Libya has made progress, but the situation remains fragile. The country is still divided, political institutions are deadlocked and foreign actors are getting involved to promote their own interests. That is why we are continuing to back up the military operation with intense diplomacy. Germany supports UN Special Representative Hanna Tetteh and her efforts to have the democratic transition process completed through free and transparent elections. Libya’s political, economic and security reunification, as well as respect for human rights, are essential for peace and stability to be able to thrive in the long term.

Fellow members of this House, European soldiers cannot forcibly bring about a political settlement for Libya, but they can help to create the prerequisites for it. They can prevent ever more new weapons from fuelling the conflict. They can protect maritime routes, conduct reconnaissance and help to boost trust in the adherence to international rules. And they can take on responsibility for Germany and Europe.

For these reasons, I ask you to agree to the Federal Government’s request to extend the mandate, as this operation is needed in order for the people all over Libya to finally be able to enjoy security again and for us, as Europe, to take on responsibility for our own security.