EU voices deep regret as Abbas postpones Palestinian elections into 2027
The Palestinian Authority has postponed legislative elections due on 28 November 2026 and the presidential vote planned for early 2027. The EU said it deeply regretted the decision, and France, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia issued a joint statement of their own.
Postponement of the votes
On Saturday, 10 October, Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas announced that the legislative elections scheduled for 28 November 2026 would not go ahead and were moved back. The presidential election, planned for early 2027, is also being postponed, and the two votes are to be held together. Sources differ on the new date: Europa Press gives 11 November 2027, while ANSA, Der Standard and N-tv report September 2027. N-tv notes that Abbas's regular four-year term ended in 2009 and that he has led the Palestinian Authority for more than 20 years.
- Abbas announces the postponement of legislative elections planned for 28 November
- EU expresses deep regret over the postponement
- Original date for the legislative elections, now postponed
Reasons given by the authority
Abbas tied the decision to Israeli restrictions and attacks in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, which he said prevent the conditions needed for free elections. The authority cited Israeli military restrictions, the expansion of Jewish settlements, attacks by armed settlers and a lack of freedom of movement. For Gaza, the leadership added the precarious security situation and the pending deployment of international protection forces. The authority also accuses Israel of diverting tax revenues that were meant to fund the Palestinian government under the conditions set for that financing, and of hindering the deployment of an international police force to secure a clean vote. Israel's government, speaking through Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, dismissed the criticism as ridiculous and described the delay as another decision by a corrupt dictator.
International reactions
On 14 October the EU issued a statement on behalf of the 27 member states, put out under the name of foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, expressing deep regret over the decision. It called for legislative and presidential elections as soon as possible, in line with earlier commitments made by Abbas, and said the votes must be credible, inclusive and transparent. The EU offered to support the process, including by deploying an election observation mission. It also tied its continued support for the Palestinian Authority to progress on reforms and on the state-building effort. Separately, the foreign ministers of France, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia, which recognised Palestine as a state last year, expressed deep regret in a joint statement. Their recognition had been linked to reforms of the authority and to Abbas's commitment to hold democratic elections.
Unconfirmed claims and critical commentary
An anonymous source cited by The Times of Israel says the postponement was negotiated with all Palestinian factions, and that Hamas and Islamic Jihad consider holding elections at this time premature. The claim comes from an anonymous source and remains unverified. A commentary in the Neue Zürcher Zeitung argues that Western money for Palestinian state-building has had little prospect of success. It recalls that Hamas won the last free elections, in 2006, and that the territories have been split since a brief civil war. The column says both sides used aid funds for self-enrichment and, in Hamas's case, for war preparations. It notes that Abbas rejected several peace initiatives during his long tenure, and argues that the recognition of Palestine last year repeated the same pattern.
