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Farantouris: Formal letter to Merz and von der Leyen ahead of meeting with Jolani
MEP Nikolas Farantouris has dispatched a formal letter to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, ahead of the Chancellor’s scheduled meeting with Syria’s transitional President, Ahmad al-Sharaa (also known as Abu Mohammad al-Jolani).
In his correspondence, Nikolas Farantouris expresses grave concern regarding the escalating persecution of religious and ethnic communities in Syria, specifically highlighting the plight of Christians, Alawites, Druze, and Kurds.
As he points out, “these attacks are not isolated incidents” but “part of a broader and deeply disturbing pattern,” emphasizing that “Christians, Alawites, and Druze have been subjected to repeated violence, intimidation, and the destruction of property.”
Furthermore, he notes that the current situation indicates that “the Syrian authorities are either unwilling or unable to restrain armed factions acting in their name.”
Nikolas Farantouris also recalls his visit to Syria in March 2025, during which he met with Patriarch John X of Antioch, representatives of various religious and ethnic communities, and members of the Greek Orthodox community. He notes that the message he received was clear: “Syria is rapidly losing its pluralistic character” and “even moderate citizens are now living in fear.”
In the same letter, he stresses that these populations “are neither distant nor foreign to us,” but constitute “part of our broader European cultural continuum.”
He describes them as “living heirs of the Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine worlds” -the very historical foundations upon which Europe was built.
The MEP underlines that the meeting with al-Sharaa “cannot follow the standard diplomatic script” and “must not be polite, formal, or reassuring.”
On the contrary, he demands that any European engagement remain “strictly conditional.”
Specifically, he calls upon the German and European leadership to demand “the immediate protection of religious minorities,” “the disarmament and oversight of militias,” and “full accountability for sectarian violence.”
He warns that “anything less would signal tolerance” toward “the erosion and potential eradication of some of the world’s oldest Christian communities.”
Closing his letter, Nikolas Farantouris emphasizes that, at a time when Europe is already facing severe geopolitical challenges, it cannot allow the annihilation of these historic populations, as such a development would burden the continent “not only politically, but historically.”
📍#Συρία #σφαγές #χριστιανοί Απέστειλα σήμερα επιστολή προς τον Καγκελάριο της Γερμανίας Φρίντριχ Μερτς και την Πρόεδρο της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής Ούρσουλα φον ντερ Λάιεν, ενόψει της συνάντησης του Γερμανού Καγκελάριου με τον μεταβατικό Πρόεδρο της Συρίας Άχμαντ αλ Σαράα (Αλ… pic.twitter.com/90158CIlV7
— Νικόλας Φαραντούρης / Nikolas Farantouris (@NFarantouris) March 30, 2026
