The Response to Hamas’s Attack Against Israel Lays Bare the European Commission’s Strategic Shortfalls

Jumbled communication from key figures does not boost confidence

31 October 2023

Oliver Varhelyi, European Commissioner for Neighbourhood and Enlargement, caught everyone by surprise on 9 October after the attacks of Hamas against Israel when he announced that development funds for Palestine were being put under review.

Oliver Varhelyi declared that all payments would be immediately suspended, and all new budget proposals would be postponed until further notice.

Mottled communication

Such statements were broadly interpreted as the EU cutting all funding to Palestinians. Some countries, including Luxembourg, Ireland, and Spain, publicly criticised that decision and questioned the authority of the Commission to make such decisions without consulting the member states.

A social media post from Janez Lenarčič, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, only a few hours after Varhelyi’s announcement stating that humanitarian aid to Palestinians would continue as long as needed, further added to the cacophony of messages from Brussels.

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Berta López Domenèch

Berta López Domènech is a Junior Policy Analyst at European Politics and Institutions programme of the Brussels-based think tank European Policy Centre. Her research focuses on the Western Balkans and EU Enlargement, as well as democratic backsliding and illiberalism in EU member states and candidate countries. She has an academic background in International Relations, EU foreign policy and journalism.

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