NATO names group after Macron criticism

BRUSSELS: NATO named a panel of 10 experts Tuesday to study the alliance´s political direction after French President Emmanuel Macron warned starkly that it was undergoing “brain death”. The group of five men and five women will be co-chaired by former German defence minister Thomas de Maziere and Washington´s former top diplomat for Europe, Wess Mitchell. NATO said the panel “will offer recommendations to reinforce alliance unity, increase political consultation and coordination between allies, and strengthen NATO´s political role. Macron caused uproar last year with Economist interview in which he despaired of what he said was the lack of strategic and political thinking at NATO. He said Turkey´s unilateral incursion against Kurdish fighters in Syria and US unpredictability under President Trump indicated grave flaws at the heart of the 70-year-old alliance. The comments drew public rebukes from other NATO leaders including German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who told Macron to “have his own brain death checked”.