Ahead of the European Council starting today, the leader of the Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Iratxe García, met with national leaders of the Party of European Socialists (PES) to discuss the current global instability, as well as key pending legislation to be finalised by June. She expressed her support to the efforts of the UN and its Secretary General to bring a halt to the violence and the need for everyone to respect international and humanitarian law. This includes acts by the Israeli government in its inherent right to self-defence. She called on the European Union to exercise its full leverage to defend the multilateral system as the only guarantor of peace.

Iratxe García said: 

“I want to express my full support to United Nations Secretary General António Guterres and I would like to thank him for his leadership for peace and his crucial role in the delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid to the civilians of Gaza. 

“At this challenging time, it is more important than ever for the European Union to defend multilateralism, international law and the UN Charter. The UN system and humanitarian law were created after World War II precisely to prevent war and indiscriminate attacks against civilians. In every conflict, the UN, its Charter and its principles must be our roadmap to peace, security and human dignity.

“This is no time for division; it is imperative that we join forces and make every possible effort to end this horrific cycle of violence. We need to be united – working for peace, to maintain human life and human dignity. The situation in Gaza is dramatic and it is deteriorating rapidly. Continuous and unimpeded assistance must urgently reach innocent civilians. Without fuel, core services including hospitals and water desalination will stop functioning.

“We call on the Israeli government to do everything in its power to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe and to help UN staff continue their humanitarian work in Gaza unhindered and in safety. As stated in the European Parliament resolution, the EU must lead a diplomatic offensive to achieve a humanitarian pause, to prevent any regional spillover, to ensure humanitarian access to and throughout Gaza and to try to free all hostages. For that, we need the 27 member states to be united – speaking with one voice. 

“However, the Middle East Conflict and also our continued commitment to support Ukraine should not divert our attention from the important reforms we must accomplish in the Union. If we want to deliver, we must reinforce our long-term budget and adapt it to the real needs.

“It’s also time to adapt our economic policy. Let´s stop talking about competitiveness and growth as the only goals. They don’t mean anything if citizens keep losing purchasing power while social inequalities are on the rise. The current revision of economic governance is an opportunity to make Europe fit and resilient for the future – a sustainable and equitable future.  

“The revision of the European state aid policy is overdue. In particular, we need to make competition rules compatible with enabling investment in housing. State aid plays a key role in tackling the housing crisis across Europe.

“Lastly, I hope that member states will assume their responsibility and stop the Commission from signing any bilateral agreements like the one with the Tunisian government last summer. As the S&Ds had warned, Tunisia proved to be an unreliable partner and the agreement did not reduce the numbers of dangerous crossings in the Mediterranean. Together, the Commission, the Council and the Parliament must find ways to manage migration within a humane and future-oriented frame. This has to be done in accordance with EU and international law, working with countries of origin to develop opportunities for their populations to stay and build their lives. We must also continue all our efforts to finalise the New Pact on Migration as soon as possible.”