EU’s Gaza Resolution Faces Setbacks as Political Fractures Emerge
Intense backroom negotiations among EU political factions failed to yield a consensus on the Gaza resolution just ahead of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s pivotal address. The European People’s Party (EPP), aligned with von der Leyen, withdrew from the proposed agreement, resulting in the collapse of the expected resolution vote this Thursday, reports 24brussels.
Von der Leyen’s escalated rhetoric has raised expectations among center-left groups that the EPP may reconsider its position. Following her address, liberal Renew lawmaker Hilde Vautmans expressed optimism about the EPP possibly aligning with von der Leyen. “I continue to receive mixed signals from the EPP regarding their support for the Gaza resolution,” she stated. “But this morning, there was a clear shift in Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s position by proposing sanctions on Israel and the suspension of the trade pillar of the EU–Israel Association Agreement. She has set a new and important direction.”
An interruption of the trade aspects of the association agreement would not equate to targeted sanctions or a broad EU arms embargo, both of which have been urged by civil society and various member states to increase economic pressure on Israel. Instead, this move would reinstate tariffs.
However, securing a qualified majority to enact such a suspension poses a significant challenge. While a majority of member countries previously indicated support for reassessing the EU’s association agreement with Israel, their backing for suspending its trade sectors remains uncertain. The Commission’s earlier proposal to exclude Israel from the Horizon research and innovation fund failed to gain enough traction. Major influential nations, including Italy and Germany, would need to endorse the suspension, while close allies of Israel such as Hungary, Czechia, Austria, and Poland appear unlikely to shift their stance.