Several European Union member states are expected to recognize the Palestinian statehood by the end of May. The announcement was made by the EU’s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Monday, on the sidelines of a special meeting of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh.
Addressing the World Economic Forum stage in Riyadh, Josep Borrell reiterated his support for a two-state solution.
In Europe, the most fervent supporters of recognition are known. Firstly, there is Spain. Before the parliament on April 10, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez reaffirmed his intention to grant full diplomatic status to Palestine, stating that Spain “is prepared to recognize the Palestinian state.”
“The international community cannot help the Palestinian state if it does not recognize its existence,” declared the head of government, while condemning Israel’s “disproportionate response” in the Gaza Strip.
Madrid stands as one of the most critical European capitals regarding Israel’s policies since the beginning of the Gaza conflict. It continues its efforts to rally other European Union countries towards recognizing Palestine.
In late March, on the sidelines of a European summit in Brussels, Pedro Sánchez issued a joint statement with his Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts, expressing readiness to recognize Palestine if it could “contribute positively” to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Among these signatories, Ireland has long been a supporter of Palestinian state recognition. From the outset of the Israeli bombardments following the Hamas attack on October 7, Dublin has raised concerns about the plight of the Gaza population.
Marked by its history as a British colony and by civil war, Ireland has been a longstanding supporter of the Palestinians. As early as 1980, it was the first European Union state to endorse the creation of a Palestinian state.
Within the European Union, nine countries grant independent state status to Palestine, including hosting an ambassador. Eight of them – Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Malta and Cyprus – took this step before joining the Union. Only Sweden, with its significant Palestinian community, did so as a member state, in 2014.
According to the Palestinian Authority, 137 out of the 193 UN member states have recognized the Palestinian state. Other countries, including Spain and France, host a “Palestinian mission” on their soil, which does not have the status of an embassy.
