Why are European nations now moving to recognise Palestine? | Explained

The story so far:

In a significant diplomatic shift, several European nations, including Spain, Ireland, and Norway, have formally recognised the state of Palestine. The move has created a ripple effect, prompting major powers like France to clarify their own positions. French President Emmanuel Macron stated he is “totally ready to recognise a Palestinian state,” but stressed such a move “must come at a useful moment.” This wave of recognition is the culmination of overlapping geopolitical, moral, and domestic pressures that have reached a tipping point.

What makes recognition urgent now?

The primary catalyst has been the war in Gaza following the October 7 attacks. The scale of the subsequent Israeli military response, resulting in widespread destruction and a humanitarian catastrophe, has shocked European sensibilities and made the previous status quo untenable. This has been compounded by the official stance of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government, which has rejected the two-state solution, the foundational principle of decades of international diplomacy. The legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice, where South Africa has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention, have further intensified the pressure on European nations to take a definitive stance. For many governments, recognition is no longer a final reward for a settlement but a necessary act to preserve the very possibility of a two-state solution.

How has Ukraine reshaped Europe’s stance on sovereignty?

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 forced Europe to adopt a principled stand on national sovereignty and the inadmissibility of acquiring land by force. However, this robust defence of international law has thrown Europe’s decades-long inaction on the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories into sharp relief. Intellectuals, media commentators, and civil society across the continent have increasingly pointed out this glaring hypocrisy, weakening the moral authority of European foreign policy. Governments now face immense pressure to demonstrate consistency. This “consistency gap” has become a significant liability, prompting a re-evaluation of their position. Recognising Palestine is thus partly an attempt to realign their policies and project a more coherent and principled stance on the world stage.

What are the domestic political pressures inside European countries?

The foreign policy shift is also a direct response to roiling domestic politics. Across Europe, public opinion has shifted palpably. The European Parliament’s own Eurobarometer survey (2023) showed that 72% of Europeans support upholding international law in all conflicts — a principle increasingly seen as applying to Palestine as well. The harrowing images from Gaza have fuelled massive public demonstrations, student-led university encampments from Paris to Dublin, and relentless advocacy from human rights organisations. Youth and progressive constituencies, which form a crucial voter base for many ruling centre-left and green parties, are demanding concrete action beyond mere condemnation. For these governments, the political cost of inaction is rising steeply. Being perceived as passive is becoming a significant electoral risk, making recognition a signal to the domestic audience that their government is aligned with the evolving moral consensus of its electorate.

Why are some countries moving faster than others?

The varied pace of recognition reveals the deep historical and political fault lines within Europe. Countries like Spain, Ireland, and Norway share a history of sympathy for the Palestinian cause, rooted in their own experiences with national struggle or a tradition of social democratic internationalism. Norway was host to the 1993 Oslo Accords; its recognition of Palestine in 2024 was seen as admitting that the negotiated path has collapsed, and new leverage is needed. In stark contrast, nations like Germany and Austria remain reluctant, constrained by the profound historical responsibility of the Holocaust, which has forged an ironclad commitment to Israel’s security. Meanwhile, many eastern European countries, such as Poland and Hungary, recognised Palestine decades ago under Soviet influence. However, today these same countries tend to align their foreign policy closely with the U.S. and are hesitant to take a leading role on the issue, prioritising transatlantic unity.

How are these moves coordinated at the European Union level?

This patchwork approach is a direct consequence of the European Union’s institutional structure. The European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy requires unanimity among all 27 member states to form a collective position — a consensus that is currently impossible to achieve. As a result, the decision on recognition has been left to individual member states. However, these are not entirely isolated actions. The moves by Spain, Ireland, and Norway were deliberately coordinated to create a greater political impact. This “like-minded group” approach builds momentum; when one set of countries acts, it provides political cover and encouragement for others to follow. While a unified EU position remains distant, this state-by-state process is creating a de facto shift in Europe’s collective posture. The war in Gaza, the intellectual contradiction exposed by the Ukraine conflict, and rising domestic political activism have forced a change.

This is a symbolic shift in how a growing part of Europe wants to project its values and power globally. While recognition itself does not end the occupation or the conflict, it signals unequivocally that many in Europe are no longer comfortable being passive spectators to the dismantling of the two-state solution.

Franciszek Snarski is a graduate of Sciences Po, Paris