EU Parliament groups blast Commission for attending Trump’s Board of Peace – POLITICO

“Participation by a Commissioner in a politically contested diplomatic initiative without a defined mandate disrupts the institutional balance and risks breaching the principle of sincere cooperation between EU institutions and Member States,” the letter says. “Respect for the Treaties is essential.”

The leaders of the three parliamentary groups said the Commission did not have a mandate to make such a decision. They add that the attendance of the Commission gave visibility and legitimacy to the Board of Peace while weakening the authority of the United Nations.

“We command the President of the European Commission to clearly disengage from Donald J. Trump’s Board of Peace, to refrain from sending any observer to its meetings, and to cease any form of participation,” they add.

The European People’s Party — von der Leyen’s political family — did not sign the letter. An EPP spokesperson did not reply to a request for comment by the time of publication.

Bulgaria and Hungary are the only EU members to have formally signed up to the peace board, with Italy and Romania attending as observers.

The Commission on Friday defended the decision. “At least half of the member states, representative of the member states, participated in this meeting,” said Commission spokesperson Guillaume Mercier. “We are not becoming a member of the Board of Peace,” he added, insisting Šuica attended to participate “in the wider discussion to ensure a safe future for Gaza and for the Palestinians.”