MEPs did not show a united front, on Tuesday 11 February, over the US peace plan for the Middle East. For some members, this plan is unacceptable, while others believe it can be a basis for peace negotiations.
The S&D group, led by Kati Piri of the Netherlands, the Greens/EFA, led by Reinhard Bütikofer of Germany, Renew Europe, led by Hilde Vautmans of Belgium and the GUE/NGL, led by Manu Pineda of Spain, rejected the plan.
"We need to get back on track as soon as possible, but that is not what this plan will lead to", said Piri, who described it as "cynical". "We must continue to support all efforts involving both parties, they need a peace plan and we can play a role", she added. For Mr Bütikofer, this plan is not "the right starting point", but "a dead end", "a diktat", whereas, according to Mr Pineda, it is a "legal parody" of the "great scam of the century".
"The EU can act; we have our credibility and we must use it to play the role of referee. (...) We need to bring both sides back to the table", Vautmans said. "There should be a high-level peace conference under your auspices", she told the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou of Greece, for the EPP group, was more moderate, saying the EU should consider the plan as a starting point for relaunching negotiations. "It was clear that neither side was going to welcome it with great enthusiasm, but I would like to see the glass half full, it can serve as a basis for resuming negotiations", she explained, adding that the EU could play a more leading role.
For Bert-Jan Ruissen (ECR, Netherlands), the many criticisms of the plan "do nothing to help the peace process". "The added value is that there is something on the table; let's give the plan a chance", he argued. Laura Huhtasaar (ID, Finland) also agreed that the EU should support the plan, saying it was perhaps "the last chance to achieve real peace after decades of violence. It's time to put an end to this conflict, we shouldn't reject the proposal because we don't like Trump".
The High Representative explained that he did not deny that the plan could be a starting point, but that it could be an end point. He announced that he had invited US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to come to the Foreign Affairs Council to discuss the US proposals directly with European ministers, the majority of whom he said did not consider the plan to be a good starting point. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)