Strasbourg, France. Dutch MEP Jeroen Lenaers warned that war has “already touched on European soil” after Iranian drones reached Cyprus, as the European Parliament debated the Middle East conflict and last week’s drone strike on the island.
Lenaers raises EU security and solidarity
Speaking at the plenary session on behalf of the European People’s Party, Lenaers said the incident showed the conflict was no longer distant and that Europe must act together when its security is at stake.
He noted that Cyprus did not invoke the Lisbon Treaty’s Article 42(7), the European Union’s common defence clause, but said Europe should be prepared if a member state does. He added that solidarity cannot be improvised during a crisis and that Europe needs to know how it responds if a member state is attacked.
Cyprus says the threat is not theoretical
The debate was opened by Cypriot European Affairs Deputy Minister Marilena Raouna, who said that for Cyprus “the situation is not theoretical,” citing the country’s geography and its direct connection to the region.
Raouna said last week’s drone strike “demonstrates how quickly and indiscriminately [conflict] can spread.”
Raouna thanks EU leaders and member states for support
Raouna expressed Cyprus’ appreciation for solidarity and support from EU institutions, including European Council President Antonio Costa and European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, and from member states including Greece, France, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands, which she said deployed naval assets to Cyprus’ vicinity.
She said Cyprus “will never forget,” adding that the deployments represented European unity and solidarity and conveyed that the security of one member state is the security of the entire European Union.
Raouna echoed French President Emmanuel Macron, who visited Cyprus on Monday, saying that when one member state is attacked, the entire European Union is attacked, and again thanked other EU countries.
What steps should the European Union take to define its response if a member state is attacked?
