On the one hand, European leaders view this new body with deep skepticism, which they see as an attempt by the United States to replace United Nations and to tear down the institutional framework that emerged after the Second World War, a multilateral order based on rules that Trump has openly questioned.
But, at the same time, in Brussels they fear be left out of the core of decisions on the future of the region, as has already happened in the negotiation on Ukraine. And this despite the fact that the European Union is the main donor of humanitarian aid and, predictably, the one that will assume a good part of the bill for the reconstruction of Gaza.
In this delicate balancing act, the solution adopted by the president of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyenhas been to send a second-level representative to Washington: the commissioner for the Mediterranean, Dubravka Suica. In addition, he will attend with the status of “observer”an ambiguous formula whose scope no one has specified.
It is not an exception. The same strategy has been adopted by other European leaders, such as the Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloniin ideological harmony with Donald Trumpor the Romanian president Nicosor Dan. They will be present, but not as full members of the Peace Board, but as mere observers, without it being clear if they will have a voice or vote.
“We have been invited as an observer country and, in our opinion, this is a good solution to the problem we have of constitutional compatibility with joining the Peace Board,” said Meloni.
“Romania will have observer status and I will reaffirm our firm support for international peace efforts and our willingness to participate in the reconstruction process of the Gaza Strip,” writes Dan on his X social network account.
The decision to be present in these discussions is based on our support for the diplomatic process established by the resolution of the UN Security Councilpromoted by the US and adopted in November,” the president of Romania has justified.
The Italian Giorgia Meloni talks with the Hungarian Viktor Orbán during a summit in Brussels
In the community Executive they have not even wanted to confirm that their representative will attend as an observer. “I can confirm that Commissioner Suica will travel to Washington this week. She will participate in the Peace Board meeting in the part specifically dedicated to Gaza, but the Commission will not become a member of the Board“said a spokesperson.
“We participate in this meeting precisely in line with our long-standing commitment to the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, as well as to contribute to international efforts to support reconstruction and post-war recovery in the region,” he alleged.
The EU is the main donor to the Palestinians. In 2025, Brussels launched a Multiannual Palestinian Recovery and Resilience Program worth up to €1.6 billion over three years. In addition, since October 2023, it has provided 500 million euros in humanitarian aid.
What does observer status mean? Does it give you the right to vote? Does it allow you to influence the work of the Board? “What matters here is what the EU can bring to the discussions, and we have an important role to play. We have experience, we have already provided relevant financial support, and it is in this context that we want to participate,” responded the spokesperson.
Doesn’t this participation imply a way of validating this format? “We still have a certain number of doubts about several elements of the Peace Board’s charter, related to its scope, its governance and its compatibility with the UN Charter,” says the European Commission.
“That said, we are willing to collaborate with the US in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza (…) We are actively working with the US to determine how we can jointly achieve this goal. So the two things are not mutually exclusive,” maintains Von der Leyen’s team.
So far, only two member states have joined Trump’s Peace Board as full members: Bulgaria and Hungary. The Hungarian Prime Minister, the ultra-conservative Viktor Orbáncelebrated the invitation during his joint press conference this Monday in Budapest with Marco Rubio, who has supported his re-election.
At the opposite extreme, Pedro Sánchez is the EU leader who most firmly rejects participating in Trump’s Peace Board. “We appreciate the invitation, but we decline to participate in that Meeting proposed by the US administration,” said the President of the Government after the extraordinary summit in January.
“We do it in coherence and consistency with our commitment to the multilateral order, to the United Nations system and to international law. And it is evident that this Board is outside the framework of the United Nations and, by the way, has not included the Palestinian Authority,” says Sánchez.