Fine Gael has confirmed its delegates at the European People’s Party’s Valencia congress refused on Wednesday to put their names to a motion condemning Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attacks in Israel and calling for the release of remaining hostages, and defended the party’s position.
The Fine Gael delegation could not support the motion because it didn’t mention “the ongoing suffering of the people of Gaza”, and didn’t “propose any other actions to bring the conflict to a close, to move towards the building of long term peace built on a two state solution”, the party told Euronews in a statement.
The resolution on ‘‘the urgent need to release all hostages held by Hamas’’ was one of several emergency motions on the second day of the congress, and was tabled by Sweden’s Christian Democrats and Austrian People’s Party delegations.
The resolution condemned, “in the strongest possible terms, the despicable [7 October 2023] terrorist attacks committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israel”, calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages taken by the terrorist group Hamas and for the bodies of deceased hostages to be returned. The motion was approved by the congress but seven delegates – which Euronews established were from Fine Gael – abstained on a show of hands.
“As the Tánaiste [Deputy Prime Minister, Simon Harris] set out in his speech at the EPP congress, it requires courage and commitment to condemn the despicable Hamas attacks of October 7th 2023, as well as the ongoing suffering in Gaza,” Fine Gael’s statement read, adding: “The motion proposed to the Congress correctly highlighted the urgent need for Hamas to release all hostages immediately. Fine Gael has been consistent on this since October 7th 2023.”
“The delegation sought to propose amendments to the motion that reflected this, but they were not accepted by others, hence their abstention,” the statement added.
The resolution committed to work “for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”, recalling that “the long-term goal is peace and security and stability for the region, which requires all hostages to be freed”.
It also encouraged “all efforts with the support of the international community, to achieve a two-state solution with safe and recognised borders”.
“We regret that Fine Gael delegates could not support the EPP-resolution on ‘The urgent need to release all hostages held by Hamas’. The resolution explicitly encourages all efforts with the support of the international community, to achieve a two-state solution with safe and recognised borders,” said Reinhold Lopatka, head of the Austrian EPP-Delegation in the European Parliament.
During the congress Fine Gael member Mairead McGuinness, who previously served as European Commissioner for financial services and as an MEP, was elected as a vice president of the EPP.
McGuinness has been approached for comment.
“We don’t comment on individual votes by delegates,” said Tom Vandenkendelaere, head of cabinet of the President of the EPP Group, Manfred Weber.
