On Friday 21 February, the EEAS spokesperson denounced the dissolution of one of Thailand’s main opposition parties, ‘Future Forward’, which received more than 6 million votes in the March 2019 general elections.
The court also banned fifteen of its leaders from participating in political life for 10 years. The dissolution represents “a setback for political pluralism in Thailand”, the spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the dissolution of political parties and the banning of members of parliament runs counter to the process of restoring pluralism initiated last year. “It is important that the authorities ensure that all legitimately elected members of parliament are able to continue fulfilling their parliamentary mandate, regardless of the party from whose list they were elected”, he warned.
These latest developments could hamper the prospects for relaunching bilateral trade negotiations with Bangkok, which were recently discussed in the EU (see EUROPE 12348/5). (CG)