PES President Sergei Stanishev hailed the recognition of the Palestine State, underlining that; “this is a courageous and just step towards peace. The PES welcomes that, despite the division in the European Union, a majority of EU Member States voted in favour. By upgrading the Palestinian status from observer entity to observer state, the United Nations is sending a collective message of hope and adding an essential building block for a lasting and fair solution of the conflict”.
Mr. Stanishev added: “This decision must bring the region closer to peace. Now it is crucial for all parties to respect the democratic vote and to build an environment of confidence abstaining from actions that would undermine this strong democratic process”.
Among the EU Member States in favour were the PES governments in Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland and Luxembourg. The voting took place on the “International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People”, and was followed by several speeches addressing the rights of the Palestinians.
A previous joint statement by PES President Sergei Stanishev and S&D President Hannes Swoboda described the bid as a “unique occasion to express support for the legitimate aspiration of the Palestinian people to have their own state”.
