PARIS — In a powerful new opinion piece published by Le Monde, prominent Palestinian lawyer and Fatah member Samer Sinijlawi has issued a direct challenge to French President Emmanuel Macron. Sinijlawi argues that France does not need to choose between supporting Palestinian statehood and supporting Palestinian democracy—but must demand both.
The issue stems from France’s historic recognition of the State of Palestine in September 2025. This recognition was heavily tied to a formal promise by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to hold national elections within 12 months—a critical commitment that Abbas has now completely failed to honor.
A Broken Promise to Emmanuel Macron
According to Sinijlawi, exactly one year ago on June 9, 2025, President Abbas wrote to Macron and other international leaders, promising a comprehensive package of political reforms. The core of this reform package was a simple, measurable pledge: Palestinians would elect a new president and a parliament within one year to restore institutional legitimacy.
Several weeks later, on July 24, 2025, President Macron publicly welcomed that commitment. For France, the promise of democratic renewal was not a minor detail. It served as concrete evidence to the international community that Palestinian institutions could be revitalized, reformed, and adequately prepared for full statehood.
Today, one year later, there are no presidential elections, no legislative elections, and not even an official timetable. “The question is no longer whether Abbas fulfilled his commitment. He did not,” Sinijlawi writes. “The question now is whether France intends to defend the commitment that it publicly welcomed.”
An Entire Generation Denied the Right to Vote
The breakdown of democratic processes in Palestine has reached a critical tipping point. For nearly 20 years, the Palestinian people have been denied the basic right to choose their national leadership.
The timeline of Palestinian democratic stagnation is stark:
- Last Presidential Election: Took place in 2005, which originally brought Mahmoud Abbas to power.
- Last Legislative Elections: Held two decades ago in 2006.
As a result, an entire generation of Palestinians has reached adulthood without ever casting a ballot in a presidential race, and millions have never participated in a parliamentary election. Sinijlawi highlights that no society can indefinitely postpone elections while continuing to claim democratic legitimacy.
“The Palestinian People Deserve Better”
When President Macron chose to deepen French diplomatic support for Palestinian statehood, he defended his decision to the French public, European partners, and skeptical Israelis by pointing to Abbas’s promises of accountability and reform.
Many Israelis who doubted the wisdom of recognizing Palestine were told that these diplomatic moves would force Palestinian institutions to become more democratic and transparent, paving a more secure path toward a negotiated two-state solution.
With the expiration of the 12-month deadline and no elections in sight, Sinijlawi concludes that France must hold the current Palestinian leadership accountable, stating firmly that the Palestinian people deserve true democratic institutions alongside their statehood.
