‘Stunned, sidelined and disunited’: how war in the Middle East paralysed the EU

The article discusses the European Union's response to the recent conflict in the Middle East. Despite some activity, like France sending naval vessels and the EU providing humanitarian aid, the EU's calls for restraint have been largely ignored. Disunity among member states regarding how to respond, exemplified by differing stances from Spain and Germany, has contributed to the EU's ineffectiveness. Critics, including former EU officials, describe the EU's response as "paralysed," "shameful," and a "fiasco," faulting its impersonal calls for diplomacy and perceived bias. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has stated that the EU needs a more realistic foreign policy.

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