Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said Monday that Palestinian elections should be held "as soon as possible," two days after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas announced a postponement to next year.
Speaking after a meeting of EU foreign ministers, Kallas said the ministers "expressed their regret at the postponement of Palestinian elections. Legislative and presidential elections should be held as soon as possible."
Abbas announced Saturday that he was postponing legislative elections originally scheduled for November, calling instead for both legislative and presidential elections to be held together in September 2027.
The EU foreign ministers' statement reflected concern among European officials over the delay in the Palestinian electoral process. Kallas did not elaborate on specific EU actions or further measures in response to the postponement.