(Brussels) “The EU asks that new presidential election be held according to internationally-recognised democratic rules and to Venezuela’s constitutional system”. Working in Brussels today, the EU Council too has taken position on the situation of Venezuela in a ten-point statement. “The latest developments” have “further removed the chance of a negotiated constitutional solution that respects democracy, the rule of law and human rights”: according to the EU ministers, the 20^th May election has been “neither free nor fair”, due to the country disagreeing on the election agenda, due to “bans and other hindrances to the participation of the opposition parties and their leaders”, due to all sorts of frauds. So, the 20^th May result “lacks credibility”. Let them go back to the polls, then, while the EU is threatening to “take action soon, according to the usual procedures, in order to impose additional targeted, reversible restrictions, without damaging Venezuela’s population”, that the EU wants to help, instead. The EU is asking for the usual things: “Recognising and respecting the role and independence of democratically-elected institutions, i.e. Parliament, freeing political prisoners, and defending the rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms”. The EU gives its full support to the Venezuelan populations and is willing to find a “democratic solution to this complex crisis”.