Listen: Can Macron’s UN Assembly push for Palestinian statehood be a diplomatic win?

This week, the spotlight is on the United Nations General Assembly and it isn’t just on global crises like climate change, war in Ukraine, or artificial intelligence.

It’s also firmly on France’s Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing for formal recognition of a Palestinian state.

But will this move, backed by a handful of Western countries, actually change the political reality on the ground?

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You can find the transcript here if you prefer reading:

This week, the spotlight is at the United Nations General Assembly and it isn’t just on global crises like climate change, war in Ukraine, or artificial intelligence. It’s also firmly on France’s Emmanuel Macron, who is pushing for formal recognition of a Palestinian state. But will this move, backed by a handful of Western countries, actually change the political reality on the ground?

The French president has made it clear that simply targeting Hamas isn’t a political solution, and if peace is ever to be achieved, Palestinians need to see their statehood as more than just a distant possibility.

And that’s why France, alongside Saudi Arabia, is hosting a meeting in New York to rally support for a two-state solution. Several Western countries have already jumped in: the UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium and Luxembourg are now joining the more than 145 nations that already recognise Palestine. France and a few others are expected to make it official this week.

But not everyone’s on board. Germany and Italy are notably absent, and the EU itself remains divided, there’s no common position on Palestinian statehood, and top EU officials are keeping their distance. Meanwhile, the United States and Israel have dismissed Macron’s initiative as reckless, even branding it a “publicity stunt.” Israel has hinted at possible retaliation, including annexing more West Bank land.
So, a bold move from Macron, but one that risks widening divisions both internationally and inside Europe.

Now this moment is about whether Europe can or even wants to play a bigger role in shaping peace in the Middle East. Macron clearly wants to seize that role, even as his political star fades at home. His critics say that he’s looking for his de Villepin moment, meaning a grand speech to be remembered long after the politics of the day are forgotten.

But behind the theatrics lies a harsh reality. Gaza is in ruins and the humanitarian toll is staggering. And with Israeli on land operations in Gaza and the seizing of land in the West Bank, the two-state solution is slipping further out of reach. For Palestinians, recognition isn’t just symbolic, it’s about international legitimacy and the faint hope that negotiations could one day restart.

For Europeans, though, the question is awkward: do they follow Macron’s lead and risk a split with Washington and Tel Aviv, or do they play it safe and watch the idea of Palestinian statehood wither?
So what can we expect?

Macron will make his pitch at the UN later today, but don’t expect miracles. Recognition by Western countries may shift the conversation, but it won’t shift Israeli or US policy any time soon. In fact, it could harden positions. Israel is already preparing possible reprisals, and US officials are warning of consequences for states that back Macron’s initiative.

Still, symbolism matters. If Macron’s gambit snowballs, Europe could find itself leading a new diplomatic push, whether or not the EU institutions are ready to follow. And while the United Nations itself is weakened, underfunded, and often accused of irrelevance, moments like these remind us why it still matters, as it’s one of the few stages left where small and big nations alike can force difficult issues into the open.