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European leaders react to Hamas success

Updated: 26/Jan/2006 17:53

Newly elected member of the Palestinian parliament, Hamas candidate Umm Nidal Farhat, pauses at her home between her ?armed sons, Wissam (L) and Mu'men(R), members of the Ezzedin al-Qassam Brigade, in Gaza City 26 January 2006. Umm Nidal a 56-year-ol mother of 10, ?had three sons killed by Israeli troops during the last five-year Palestinian ?uprising. Two were assassinated. The third, Mohammed, was killed when he led a ?2003 commando raid against Neve Dekalim, once the "capital" of Jewish ?sett

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European political leaders have reacted with caution and uneasiness to the large victory of Hamas at this week’s Palestinian legislative elections.

Hamas leaders have said they are still committed to armed struggle as a method of obtaining what they see as a satisfactory situation in the region. But British foreign secretary Jack Straw was amongst the first to urge Hamas to renounce violence.

"Hamas has to understand that with democracy goes renunciation of violence," Straw said. "It is up to Hamas to choose. We will have to wait and see, the international community will want Hamas to make a proper rejection of violence and to acknowledge that Israel exists.”

Danish foreign minister Per Stig Moeller echoed Straw’s feelings. "It is a surprise election result. No one had expected they would get an absolute majority, if that is the outcome,” he said.

“Hamas must stop the terror, they must put down the arms, they must accept a negotiated solution before the rest of the world can include them in the peace process.”

“very, very, very bad”

Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, was far more negative about the prospects for peace. Calling the situation "very, very, very bad result," Berlosconi said: “If this news was confirmed, everything we had hoped for, that chance for peace between Israel and Palestine, is postponed to who knows when," Berlusconi said.

Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds said that the EU will not be able to cooperate with Hamas unless it changes its policies.

"It is not possible for the EU to cooperate with a regime that does not dissociate itself from using violence and does not acknowledge Israel's right to exist," Freivalds told Swedish Radio.

"I think such a widespread vote for Hamas is a protest against those in power who have not done enough, a reaction to the incapacity to lead the political process forward," Freivalds said.

Day in history

1945: Germany

The Nuremberg Trials begin. Trials against 24 Nazi war criminals of World War II start at the Nuremberg Palace of Justice.