The European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen kicked off the first post-summer break European Parliament plenary session with her State of the European Union speech, rallying for an independent Europe and calling on Israel for its action in Gaza.
Von der Leyen called the current situation “Europe’s independence moment”, vowing to engage on its own terms on numerous challenges and be more autonomous in strategic areas, from energy to new technologies. She also spoke about the possible introduction of a digital euro.
For the first time, von der Leyen also mentioned the possibility of sanctions against Israel due to its ongoing escalation in Gaza. She called what is happening to Gaza “simply catastrophic”. She said that the shift from Israel in recent times is “unacceptable”, reaffirming the EU’s commitment to the two-state solution and a viable Palestinian state, reminding of the unending aid sent to Palestine currently and over the years. To bolster this, the Commission will set up a Palestine Donor Group that will coordinate help and start funds for the future reconstruction of Gaza.
More unequivocally, von der Leyen pointed at member states for the inaction of the EU. She mentioned that some member states are moving ahead independently to condemn Israel and the action of its government, while others keep their support. Due to this, the proposal of freezing Horizon funding to Israel remains stuck as the required majority has not been reached.
Von der Leyen announced that the Commission will push what it can on its own, including putting bilateral support to Israel on hold. They will also present two proposals to the European Council, one for sanctions on some ministers and violent settlers, and another for a partial suspension of the Association Agreement on trade-related matters. The Commission president urged member states to take action and support them.
The speech received its share of criticism, mainly regarding the recently backed trade deal with the US, which most leaders of European parties called off.
Social-Democrat leader Iratxe Garcia called for a new discussion on the issue and deemed the current deal “unfair”. The Left Group leader Martin Schirdewan said it was a “total capitulation”.
