The impact of EU member states divisions on foreign policy: A Case Study of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Abstract

This dissertation examines how different stances among EU member states on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, particularly following the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, impact the EU’s ability to formulate a coherent and unified foreign policy. Three key factors; ideology, national interests, and historical ties, were formulated as hypotheses to analyze and explore how each factor influences EU member states divisions and shapes EU foreign policy. This study employs a qualitative research design combined with a case study method of five EU member states: Spain, Hungary, Ireland, Germany, and France. The selection of the countries was based on their political influence, differing positions on the Middle East conflict, and geographical location. Official statements and speeches of the political leaders such as prime ministers and foreign ministers of each state collected and analyzed through inductive content analysis. The findings revealed that, while all three factors play a role, national interest is the most strongly weighted factor among the selected countries. Spain’s and Ireland’s foreign policies are strongly shaped by their commitment to multilateralism, international law, and humanitarian principles and norms, while Hungary’s position is driven by concerns over border security, migration, and terrorism. Germany’s support for Israel arises from its historical responsibilities. In contrast, France emphasizes diplomatic influence through mediation driven by fear of conflict escalation into Lebanon, a country with which it has an important historical relationship. These divergences constantly translate into challenges for coherent and unified EU action, emphasizing intergovernmental decision-making difficulties in crises that provoke strong national considerations. In this sense, the study proposed policy recommendations such as strengthening the CSFP decision-making structure by building consensus and improving Qualified Majority Vote (QMV) to address the question of the coherence internally, and the credibility of the EU as a global power externally.