International Relations
Interview
China’s EVs and European Disunity: A Geoeconomic Playbook
7 October 2024
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.
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.