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Palestine – what now?

The first day of the mission: crossing Israel into Palestine. Given that everything had gone wrong even before departure and it seemed that we would not be able to carry out the mission (again), no one dared to predict what would happen at the airport in Tel Aviv.

Of course, many people hoped that we would not succeed. Many people also lobbied that we would not succeed. In the end, they did not succeed, but we did. I have to be honest and say that this was also due to the very direct support of the leadership of the European Parliament. In short, we had no problems at the border and the day after our arrival – in the last week of October 2025 – we began the official part of the three-day meetings and visits.

Already at the security briefing – in addition to the urgent instructions that we had to know just in case, from the possibility of an attack to the response if anything happened – we were warned not to fall for the impression of “normal” everyday life.

Because everything is far from normal…

At practically all meetings, our interlocutors warned us that the world is too quick to accept agreements that are just the tip of the iceberg. A patch, a virtual ceasefire, while humanitarian aid is still not enough, the attacks have not ended, and the number of innocents killed is still growing.

Although it certainly seems to many from the outside that everything is as “normal” as possible in the West Bank, in reality it is no better off. The violence there is less visible, but no less brutal. The latest report from the relevant United Nations office mentions 264 attacks by immigrants in just one month, an average of eight per day. Eight. Per day.

The only condition for normality – the way I can write it without quotes – is the end of occupation, apartheid, ethnic cleansing, genocide. And taking responsibility for all of the above. There is no alternative.

What is the point of the rules of international law if the rule of power (read: influence and money) prevails? Why do you even have some rules in the context of law if they are not respected, they asked me. And you know what hurts the most? That they are right. It is actually very simple. It is absolutely a problem when the rules are not respected. But an even bigger problem is when there is no responsibility for such disrespect.

No punishment.

A world that relaxes under the impression that everything is fine sends the wrong signal – that everything listed in the previous paragraph is fine. That no alternative is needed.

The European Union is present in Palestine, and is the largest donor, I would say. But on the ground it is becoming clear that no such aid can replace political responsibility. Above all, it must not become a substitute for justice, an excuse for inaction.

The number of illegal settlers in the West Bank is increasing. There are hundreds of thousands of them, according to official figures, almost half a million, and I’m not even counting East Jerusalem (there are an additional 200,000 there).

Not only can all these immigrants march through the streets with weapons without any problem – everything they do, they do with the knowledge and (in)direct support of the military and the authorities. Soldiers, ex-soldiers, civilians, everything is intertwined, uniform is no criterion.

I am not the biggest fan of generalizations. You will never hear me say that an entire nation is evil. Or vice versa. But the fact is that in this case, an entire nation lives in fear, while the cheaper life through illegal settlements attracts another nation, which apparently does not even think about the legal, let alone the moral, consequences.

These are not empty words.

Palestinian society is facing an existential threat, we have heard this from both representatives of the Palestinian Authority and from all NGOs – including Israeli ones. Tens of thousands of children have been killed, tens of thousands of children have various health problems, tens of thousands of children are orphans.

The feeling of injustice has touched almost every conversation. Palestine is being decided without Palestine. The international system maintains a state in which Palestine is forever waiting. For permission, for help, for justice. With all due respect and reverence for historical events, but the international system also maintains a state of eternal victims – and no, in this case I am not talking about Palestinian women and men.

“Because they can. Why can they?”

The second day of the mission was dedicated to civil society and local organizations in East Jerusalem – Palestine.

Everyone pointed out that the situation is far from good. That both the Israeli authorities and Hamas are deliberately dividing Palestine, specifically Gaza and the West Bank. That humanitarian workers are exhausted.

Can you imagine living your whole life right by the sea and never trying fish? Not because you don’t want to, but because you’re not allowed to. Can you imagine?

Can you imagine having olive groves, and in the middle of the peak season, someone simply steals your fruits – which you, of course, picked, worked hard for – because they can?

What about if someone breaks into your house and asks you if you’re scared right now? And tells you that he’s going to cut off your head, yours, your children’s heads, if you don’t leave? Can you imagine?

Just like that. Because he can.

Don’t ask yourself why!

I spoke to young activists, as well as journalists. They all emphasized a sense of numbness and a loss of meaning. Even a sense of guilt for living.

“Does Gaza really have to bleed to make its to the news?” How should one answer such a question? Or to the statement that they are not asking for charity, but for HUMAN rights?

You tell them they are right. Because they are. And then? You agree that the European Union is a prisoner of some of its own political mechanisms and consensuses, not to mention internal politics and some historical feelings of guilt (which are unjustly associated with the present, by the way). Does the EU’s voice carry weight? It could. Where is the “because it can” here?

Can you imagine the Palestinian people (read: I’m not talking about terrorists) thinking that they can? That they can avenge the deaths of tens of thousands of babies, children? Women, mothers? Men, fathers, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles… PEOPLE.

People with a future. So can you imagine someone living there and watching all this, surviving through some lucky combination of circumstances, having nothing (anymore) to lose, and thinking: if the rule of law doesn’t apply, if there’s no accountability and punishment, then… can I?

When I grow up, I will be …

The two fields on the last day hurt me the most. First, the one that was the most full of good will, laughter, eyes in which you see not only a spark of hope, but sincere happiness when thinking about the future.

When I grow up, I will be a doctor! – Why? – Because I want to save the world.

When I grow up, I will be a lawyer! – Why? – Because I want to save my brother.

When I grow up, I will be an engineer! – Why? – Because I want to do good.

Did you notice the “because I can”? Me neither. While visiting a school in one of the refugee camps in the West Bank, I felt really bad. When you look at these children, at least in my case as the mother of a little girl, you think: what the hell?!

To avoid any misunderstanding, this isn’t really about whether you have children or not, because I honestly think something like that would be unbearable for anyone. A human, of course.

The field visit to Palestine revealed a reality that goes beyond official statements, peace agreements, discussions, speeches…

And yet, at the end of the mission what was even more painful, was the field of visits by adults who were left without everything, with a look in their eyes in which you only see …

And what now?

The main battle today is not Gaza. The main battlefield is the West Bank, where daily life is reduced to a master-slave relationship. People are wondering whether to stay or flee, but many are persevering.

Why, you ask? So did I. Because they have nothing else left. Like hope, like a voice, like a language. And even threats of literally cutting off their heads don’t silence them.

 

What we have been witnessing in the Middle East in recent weeks and beyond is classic political theater. Israel creates the appearance of action, while world leaders act not for moral reasons, but purely out of political calculations.

Sometimes you have to see for yourself to truly understand what it means to live in fear that never goes away. At the end of the day – or mission – you are left with the feeling that everyone who lives there exists in a state between survival and hope. Hope, that must not end.

But, dear readers, this is not just about Palestine. It is about humanity. It is about basic values ​​that NO ONE should ignore. Everything that has happened in the last two years cannot be simply erased. Pretending that nothing happened and was happening. That nothing is happening. The genocide has not ended. It is just slower and quieter. Even worse, in fact.

And the greatest irony? It is that Palestinians would not need foreign aid at all if they were simply allowed to live. And it is that foreign aid – pressure – is actually what the state of Israel needs.

The European Union has the tools; we have seen how we know how to use them, or are using them, against Russia. The fact that we don’t have them here is not a lack of understanding. It is hypocrisy.

And that’s why I’m going to have serious discussions in my political group next week as we decide on the next steps. I won’t give up, because there should NEVER be any excuses for not taking responsibility. It’s time for us to take ours – morally, politically and humanly.

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“It is high time to prove that it is not all just words on paper”

On Friday, 7 November 2025, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a debate on the enlargement of the European Union in the House of the European Union. At the publication of the European Commission’s annual report on the progress of candidate countries, she clearly expressed her position on the attitude of European policy towards candidate countries for membership in the European Union: “Candidate countries must do their homework and most of them are doing it – some faster, some slower, but the EU itself must do it first and foremost.” According to her, it is high time to prove that it is not all just words on paper.

In her introduction, the MEP welcomed the fact that such an extremely important topic is finally, after so many years, high on the agenda:

“It is right that candidate countries, when they make progress, start accession negotiations without any internal political or bilateral resolutions and become part of the European family.”

Regarding the situation in Serbia, she said that there has been no progress in recent years due to the regime there. As she said, the European Parliament has often saved the honor of the European Union, especially in the last year, specifically in terms of condemnation and very clear positions on the regime, but also support for European values ​​and, consequently, those who fight for these values; which are currently students or people on the streets of Serbia.

Questions were also directed at North Macedonia, with the MEP pointing out that the Macedonian state deserves a little more positive messages, because becoming a ‘hostage’ to the Bulgarian narrative is not fair in itself, but at the same time, this is clearly the only reason for its lack of progress.

She went on to support the status of candidates, including Ukraine and Moldova, especially in the context of the current geopolitical situation.

She expressed her belief that economic interests should never be a priority over people’s interests, and concluded by stating that criteria and rules exist for a reason, but in the end, regardless of this, everything stands or falls on credibility and integrity:

“Not only individuals, but also – or above all – institutions. If an institution promises the same thing over and over again and fails to deliver, then a serious problem arises and we can understand the disappointment and anger of the person on the other side. The candidates have to do their homework and most of them are doing it – some faster, some slower, but first and foremost the European Union itself has to do it.”

In addition to MEP Irena Joveva, the debate was also attended by MEPs Vladimir Prebilič (Greens/EFA), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Matej Tonin (EPP), Marjan Šarec (Renew) and Branko Grims (EPP), Faris Kočan from the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Ljubljana and Adnan Ćerimagić from the European Stability Initiative.

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“A promise is only as strong as the solid credibility of those who make it”

On Wednesday, 5 November 2025, MEP Irena Joveva hosted a presentation of a study on tackling youth Euroscepticism using the case of North Macedonia. “For as long as I can remember, we have been hearing that the future of the Western Balkans lies in the European Union,” she stressed, adding that this phrase has been repeated for so long that only few people still believe in it today.

As she recalled at the outset, so much time has passed since the first promises of a European future, that many young people who once believed in it and sought their opportunity in Europe, are now helping their children apply for Erasmus exchanges. Therefore, she is not surprised that many in the region, after years of disappointment, increasingly doubt that enlargement policy is even on the agenda in Brussels.

She went on to point out that the reasons why the enlargement process is not moving forward have been discussed in Brussels for years, but behind the complex terms and bureaucratic explanations, there is often a lack of courage to take more decisive steps. Although, as she assessed, the war in Ukraine has once again revealed that the issue of enlargement is also a strategic issue for the Union itself, the promised new impetus in this area is still not visible.

She stressed that this survey, like many others, shows that young people in North Macedonia still perceive the EU as a space of freedom and opportunity, but at the same time almost half of them doubt that their country will ever become a member.

”This is a clear signal that requires action from both the EU and national authorities.”

As she said, everyone has often failed in the process of approximation – both Brussels and Skopje and the rest of the Western Balkans region.

”Internal political tensions, widespread corruption and the lack of serious reforms have in some places significantly hindered more concrete progress, while the European Union, with its inconsistency and indecision, has sometimes actually rewarded stagnation instead of progress – by maintaining dialogue and cooperation with those political elites who have not shown a real will for change. The result is a loss of trust, a rise in Euroscepticism and an exodus of young people who are leaving their homeland in search of a decent life.”

Joveva stressed that there are friends of the Western Balkans in the European institutions who believe that enlargement is a joint investment in peace, stability and the credibility of the European Union.

”Just as we expect reforms and the strengthening of democracy from our partners, we in the Union must also do our part – keep our word and prove that promises still mean something.”

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Ten years of networking, collaboration, and courage of liberal women

On Tuesday, 23 October 2025, MEP Irena Joveva participated via video address at the 10th anniversary summit of the ‘Alliance of Her’ programme, the leading programme of European liberals for women’s empowerment, which brought together more than 150 participants and supporters in Brussels.

In her introduction, Joveva stressed the importance of initiatives that promote the cooperation and empowerment of women from different backgrounds and experiences, while at the same time uniting them across national borders by common liberal values. According to Joveva, these values ​​are the foundation of efforts for an open, free and equal Europe, built on women’s cooperation and ideas.

She also recalled the period when Slovenia, under the previous government, began to slide towards illiberal practices, following the example of neighboring Hungary, and emphasized how important the support of European liberals, especially liberal women, was at that time in the fight for democratic values:

”During this time, I never felt small or defeated, also because of the awareness that I have the support of you, who share and believe in the same values ​​as me. We can learn from the experiences we share, stand by each other and encourage each other to show what kind of leaders we really are.”

For Joveva, the ‘Alliance of Her’ program not only brings new knowledge and skills, but is also valuable because it connects like-minded women and encourages critical thinking. She also touched on the challenges of modern times, from the growing pressure of digitalization, the negative impacts of social networks to the resurgence of authoritarian movements.

”We live in a time when history is dangerously repeating itself. But programs like this create influential, strong and courageous women who are not afraid of these challenges.”

Finally, Joveva thanked all the organizers, members and supporters of the program and expressed her belief on the occasion of the anniversary that this program will continue to leave a deep mark on the European political space in the next ten years and inspire many new generations of liberal leaders.

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“The time of impunity is running out”

On Tuesday, 21 October 2025, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a plenary debate on polarisation and growing repression in Serbia one year after the tragedy in Novi Sad, where she stressed that it is time and crucial for the EU to finally stand up for those who stand for true values.

”Bolje ćaci, nego naci,” Joveva began by quoting an infamous slogan that has caught on among supporters of the regime and is said to represent a cynical response to the student uprising that swept across all major Serbian cities last year. The last word carries a dismissive association with Nazism, with which the Vučić regime has been labeling its own citizens, who have been persisting on the streets of various cities across the country for a year.

She went on to explain that the name of the city “Novi Sad” literally means “new now”, which can also serve as a symbol of the protesters’ desire for immediate change and a decent future here and now, not some promised tomorrow. In doing so, Joveva highlighted the grotesque irony of the situation in Serbia:

“Those who order beatings label the beaten as ‘Nazis’. They invent fake students – ćaci, while real students are bleeding for democracy. In reality, these students are the ones who are teaching us a real lesson – a lesson in courage.”

“Now it is our turn to learn the lesson,” she said, emphasizing that the European Union must clearly stand in defense of those who defend democracy, not on the side of those who trample it.

In conclusion, Joveva sent a clear message to the regime in Belgrade that their time of impunity is running out.

“Expect targeted sanctions for everyone who bears responsibility. And don’t rush to write those textbooks. Your forced lesson is over. History will judge you.”

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“Let there be no thieves where our lives are decided”

On Tuesday, 21 October 2025, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a plenary debate on the slow judiciary and the decline of the rule of law in Malta eight years after the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. She strongly condemned the Maltese government and the competent institutions for not having served justice despite the high profile of her murder.

”There are fraudsters everywhere you look,” Joveva began by recalling the words of the late Daphne Caruana Galizia, emphasizing that these words unfortunately still describe the situation in Malta today.

According to Joveva, the late Daphne embodied the fundamental values ​​of democracy with her journalistic work, and it was for them that she ultimately paid the highest price:

”She spoke the truth, exposed corruption, demanded accountability. Everything that should be taken for granted in a democracy.”

But despite the resonance of her work and her equally resonant murder, justice has still not been served.

”Those who pulled the trigger are in prison. Those who gave the order are at large. And those who obstructed the investigation are still in their positions.”

In doing so, the MEP criticized the Maltese government for preferring to remove flowers from the memorial site of the murdered journalist instead of ensuring justice and protecting media freedom.

Joveva continued by drawing attention to the findings of the competent institutions, which indicate a complete lack of progress in reforms. As she pointed out, no corruption case in Malta has so far ended with a final conviction, while journalists continue to work in a hostile and dangerous environment. At the same time, she explained that this is not just a Maltese, but a pan-European problem, as the entire Union suffers without accountability.

In conclusion, MEP Joveva expressed her belief that it is high time for real measures and changes to the situation, which Daphne had also warned about all her life:

”Let there be no thieves where our lives are decided.”

EP/Alain ROLLAND

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“Better late than never, but never again this late”

On Tuesday, 21 October 2025, MEP Irena Joveva took part in a plenary debate on the recent so-called Middle East peace agreement and the role of the European Union, where she made a clear call for immediate and decisive action: “Simply act. Better late than never, but never again this late.”

In her opening remarks, Joveva recalled that the European Union had been a silent observer of the events in Gaza for too long. As she stressed, the European institutions had been discussing, expressing concern and condemning the violence for years, but had done nothing concrete:

“You watched Gaza burn, you discussed, condemned, expressed concern… and yet you did not act. You observed genocide, but you did not dare to call it that. You spoke of principles, but you did not implement any of them. We betrayed the Palestinians. We betrayed the world and we betrayed humanity.”

With the recent conclusion of the so-called peace agreement, Joveva warned that we must ask ourselves: peace for whom?

“Is it really a ceasefire or – to quote Francesca Albanese – ‘you cease, I fire’,” she asked, adding that while the hatred between the far right in Israel and Hamas is fueled by each other, innocent civilians continue to pay the highest price.

She particularly drew attention to the role of the European Commission and its recently presented Pact for the Mediterranean, which, in Joveva’s assessment, unfortunately reaffirms the European Union’s double standards:

“You preach about stability and security and at the same time favor the aggressor, while you only mention Palestine symbolically. Is this really the role we want to play? Do we really want to watch human rights being violated, people being killed and the world continuing to burn?”

In conclusion, she called for immediate and decisive action, which must have clear consequences in the event of a breach of the agreement – ​​sanctions, isolation and accountability for violators:

“Just act. Better late than never, but never again this late.”

EP/Alexis HAULOT

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How can you perform surveillance if you don’t have access to the data?

On Wednesday, October 15, 2025, I organized an event in the Brussels Parliament with the aforementioned people to review the current state of play in the field of transparency of the EU’s operations, the legislative process, access to documents…

We jointly assessed that it is not exactly the best. Unfortunately. We all know the case of the correspondence between the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and the company Pfizer, which hid the personal messages in which she negotiated for vaccines from journalists. The New York Times journalists even initiated legal proceedings, and in the summer they won a lawsuit, but then received a response from the European Commission, saying that “we did not save these messages”.

Similarly, von der Leyen’s spokeswoman recently claimed that she deleted two messages from French President Emmanuel Macron because “she had no space on her phone”. What cynicism…

… but all this is basically just the tip of the iceberg. The EU’s institutional arrangements are such that the principles of transparency are still somewhat respected in the European Parliament, as the majority of our debates are public and recorded, while in the European Commission or the Council of the EU only PR is public.

Documents can be requested through the Ombudsman, but judging by what was said at the event, the Commission and the Council avoid it in every possible way, spend months “searching” for documents in the archives or sending so many documents that you can’t get through.

And that’s just the general part. The second is that the situation has only worsened recently. They propose legislation without impact assessments (these are key studies), they exclude the European Parliament from the process for the 150 billion euro borrowing mechanism (which is why we sued the European Commission, by the way), they combine different areas in one legislative package (these are the so-called Omnibuses), they exclude stakeholders from legally required consultations… in short, they do everything possible just to make the process even more opaque and resistant to criticism, to force proposals without real democratic control.

When Ursula von der Leyen agreed with US President Donald Trump that the EU would be hit with 15% tariffs, the Commission President also agreed with him to remove those small tariffs on industrial goods from the US in the EU. She agreed similarly for certain food products. There are no legally defined “impact assessments” of these proposals at all. Neither how much less revenue will there be, nor how much more goods will there be from the US. All to prevent Trump from doing even more damage – but the latter is still threatening new measures against the EU.

At the event, we agreed that we all – the European Parliament, the Ombudsman, NGOs and journalists – face similar challenges, where we often do not get the answers we need from the executive branch to do our job. But we also agreed that this will not stop us from doing our job.

  • Irena

In addition to MEP Irena Joveva, who also organised the event, the discussion also included Lambros Papadias – Head of Cabinet of the European Ombudsman, Nick Aiossa – Director of Transparency International EU, Anne Friel – lawyer and Head of Environmental Rights and Rule of Law at ClientEarth, Staffan Dahllöf – freelance journalist from Denmark, and MEPs Cristina Guarda, Daniel Freund (Greens/EFA) and Evin Incir (S&D).

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“A Europe That Cares for Mental Health Cares for Its People”

On Thursday, 9 October 2025, Member of the European Parliament Irena Joveva took part in the plenary debate marking World Mental Health Day, stressing that mental health must be placed at the heart of European policymaking. “Mental health is not a luxury. It is a fundamental human right. It is dignity,” Joveva declared.

At the outset, Joveva recalled that the European Commission in the previous term presented the European Strategy for Mental Health, describing it as a step in the right direction — but still insufficiently ambitious.

“Mental health doesn’t begin in hospitals, it begins in societies that provide people with security, stability, and opportunity.”

She therefore called for concrete action, including stronger social safety nets, access to affordable housing, the reduction of poverty and inequality, better protection against burnout, and the integration of mental health into the European Pillar of Social Rights.

Joveva also drew attention to the growing impact of artificial intelligence on mental health, a factor often underestimated by society.

“Our societies are increasingly dependent on algorithms. Artificial intelligence shapes our lives — and our emotions. AI had been among the reasons that led one teenager to take his own life.”

In conclusion, Joveva advocated for clear EU-level rules and safeguards to ensure that the European Union genuinely demonstrates care for mental health — and, by doing so, care for its people.

Photo / EP: Fred Marvaux

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Always according to my conscience

According to my conscience. As always.

This time, the motions of no confidence in the European Commission came from both the far-left and the far-right ends of the political spectrum. Each side put forward its own.

If the real intention had been to remove Ursula von der Leyen, the approach would have needed to be very different. But let’s leave that aside. As the saying goes: their circus, their… well, let’s leave that too.

So, to the heart of the matter: why did I support both motions of no confidence?

For months we’ve been told that those of us in the political center must act “responsibly,” and that removing Ursula von der Leyen would plunge the institutions into chaos. That may be true — yet something is clearly wrong if we have become prisoners of our own processes. Prisoners of a center-right governance model in the European Union that sometimes holds the middle ground, but often doesn’t.

What ultimately guided my decision?

With the motion from the left, there was little room for doubt — the main accusations against the Commission President concerned the genocide in Gaza.

The motion from the far right was different. Although this one — unlike their first attempt — was more substantively grounded, I do not agree with them politically or ideologically. But you know what? I do not trust Ursula von der Leyen any more than I trust them. And that is what tipped the scale.

At the beginning of this mandate, I had a one-on-one meeting with von der Leyen. I told her very clearly what I expected from her Commission. Those expectations were not met — and clearly never will be.

Her “right-wing majority” won through rhetoric, manipulation, and, in many cases, outright lies — yet action and accountability remain absent.

They rose to power on anti-migrant sentiment, only to hand over billions in taxpayers’ money to Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey, and Morocco — paying these countries to do Europe’s dirty work: to detain people using armed paramilitary groups, to beat them, drive them into the desert, rape them, and even sell them.

And let’s not even start on Gaza. It took von der Leyen two years to slightly harden her rhetoric — after the state of Israel had already killed at least 70,000 people, was firing on civilians, aid workers, and journalists, and starving the rest in what can only be called genocide.

In Serbia, in the name of “stability,” she supports a regime that unleashes its paid thugs on citizens who simply want a better future. With Trump, she bends on tariffs that damage the European economy.

My views on von der Leyen have never changed. Not once during this mandate did I support her. Nor did I oppose the first motion of no confidence before the summer. So I don’t understand why anyone is surprised now — calling my vote “bizarre.” Why? Because I gave her more than enough chances?

I know she’s not personally to blame for everything. I also know it’s unfair to those commissioners who genuinely want to do their jobs. But in the end, it’s precisely her style of leadership that prevents them from doing so.

Sadly, I cannot name a single concrete achievement from this Commission’s first year onward that deserves praise. And for that, regardless of all else, Ursula von der Leyen bears the primary responsibility. Despite the pressure to “act responsibly” and the argument that “there is no alternative,” my conscience would not allow me to vote otherwise.

I can make compromises — but there comes a point when enough is enough.

EP / Alexis Haulot

 

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