The EU Observer reports that while several European leaders have demanded the EU reacts as a bloc to the Mohammed cartoon controversy following past weekend’s violent protests, the Austrian EU presidency wants to wait and see.

“For the moment we have no plans to call for a crisis meeting. If we call upon the ministers of the 25 member states, we would like to see something coming out of it,” an Austrian presidency spokesperson said on Sunday (5 February), according to Nordic media.

Danish foreign minister Per Stig Moller said on Sunday afternoon that Denmark could not tackle the crisis alone and called upon all sides in the conflict to establish dialogue.

“This is a crisis that is much bigger than Denmark. This crisis is an attack on co-operation between the Western and Muslim worlds,” Mr Moller indicated.

“We have nothing to win from this confrontation. We all stand to lose a lot because it is now in the hands of the extremists and fanatics who do not want a dialogue of cultures and co-operation between the western and the muslim governments,” the minister added.

Seven other EU leaders, meeting in the German city of Dresden, have also called for a joint EU approach.

Violence and threats are not acceptable under any circumstances,” the German head of state, Horst Koehler, said speaking for colleagues from Finland, Italy, Latvia, Austria, Portugal and Hungary.

“It is important that we speak with one voice on this issue in the European Union, uphold our common values but also make an effort toward de-escalation,” said president Heinz Fischer of Austria.

The EU Observer also reports that EU ambassadors met on Monday to discuss the crisis and that several EU leaders, including Swedish foreign minister Laila Freivalds and French president Jacques Chirac, have urged the authorities in Muslim countries where riots have occurred to take proper security measures.

According to an offical at the meeting, it was agreed to “define and maintain” dialogue with the Muslim world, while demanding from host authorities that they fulfil their obligation to protect EU diplomatic missions on their soil.

A representative for the Danish mission to Brussels said that despite the lack of concrete measures taken today at the meeting, it was of “great comfort” to Denmark that the matter was taken up at EU level.

German chancellor Angela Merkel has called for an end to the violence. “It is important for us to make clear that the use of violence is not acceptable,” she said.

Tony Blair has called the protests “completely unacceptable”.

“It is always sensible for freedom of expression to be exercised with respect for religious belief. But nothing can justify the violence aimed at European embassies or at the country of Denmark,” he said.

“We and our EU partners stand in full solidarity with them in resisting this violence and believe the Danish government has done everything it reasonably can to handle a very difficult situation.”

The Austrian presidency has so far refused to say if EU joint measures or statements would be issued, saying the matter was under consultation.

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