This is why the EU lacks a position on the Middle East crises

Qatar responded to the ultimatum imposed by other Gulf countries in June 2017, as the tensions in the region kept escalating. While the US is very active, the EU seemed to lack the ability to have a coherent position on these developments. Why?

This report from VoteWatch Europe (VWE) showed how key European political actors had different preferences for their coalition partners in the Middle East, which led to the EU as a whole to have an ambiguous response when these regional crises occurred.

By drawing on its database on the voting records of EU policymakers, VWE mapped the different positions of the EU Member States on the strategic alliances to be pursued in the Middle East. In particular, it showed how ideological, cultural and historical ties still shaped the positions of the European political families when it came to the relations with some of the most important players in the region: Saudi Arabia, Iran, Israel and Turkey.

It found that the political affiliation of those who are in power at a given time impacted substantially when it came to strengthening (or straining) relations with these countries.