On Wednesday 29 April, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Cypriot Deputy Minister for European Affairs, Marilena Raouna, on behalf of the Presidency of the Council of the EU, and numerous MEPs called for a diplomatic solution to the war in the Middle East.
“We all want the ceasefires in Lebanon and Iran to hold, with the ultimate aim of restoring peace and stability by diplomatic means”, Ms von der Leyen summed up during a plenary session debate in Strasbourg, without going into detail about the means employed. And she added that: “Our common goal is a lasting end to this war. This includes the restoration of complete, permanent and toll-free freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz”.
“Diplomacy remains the only viable path towards restoring stability. The EU will continue to contribute to all diplomatic efforts in line with its consistent, reliable role drawing on its diplomatic reach, experience, and long-term partnerships”, Ms Raouna promised MEPs. She also stressed the need for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, recalling the “critical” role of the EU’s ASPIDES operation in the Red Sea.
“The message must be to put an end to the conflict in Iran, Gaza and Lebanon as soon as possible”, stressed the Co-Chair of The Left, Martin Schirdewan (German), regretting that Ms von der Leyen had “no critical words to say about Trump or Netanyahu”. “Europe must defend peace, stability and justice in the Middle East. We need to protect our societies from leaders like Trump”, stressed Bas Eickhout (Greens/EFA, Dutch).
On behalf of the ECR, Nicola Procaccini (Italian) felt that “the war was a reminder that our freedom is not a given, but a loan, if we remain hostage to others”. He called for the economic independence of the EU.
Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spanish) condemned Ms von der Leyen’s silence on the situation in Lebanon. “Faced with this reality, the EU cannot simply be a spectator; it must be the guarantor of international law, democracy and peace”, she pleaded.
In the evening, MEPs also discussed the situation in Lebanon. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)