The member of the left-wing party La France Insoumise, Sébastien Delugo, raised a Palestinian flag in the National Assembly during a question to the government about the situation in Gaza. Meanwhile, several members of Italy's Five Star Movement waved Palestinian flags during a parliamentary debate concerning the Middle East. These actions coincided with the official recognition of the State of Palestine by three European countries: Spain, Ireland, and Norway.
In Italy, a number of opposing MPs from the Five Star Movement held up five Palestinian flags and a peace flag while their colleague Riccardo Ricciardi delivered a speech calling for the recognition of the State of Palestine. While the session chair pointed out that "no symbols, regardless of what they are, should be displayed," the MPs quickly handed in the flags without facing any immediate penalties.
In France, Sébastien Delugo's raising of the Palestinian flag led to the suspension of the National Assembly session and his exclusion for 15 days. The president of the assembly, Yaël Braun-Pivet, a member of the presidential camp, condemned what she described as "unacceptable behavior." The regulations she referred to impose penalties on any member who participates in acts that disrupt order or provoke disturbances.
In response to journalists' questions, Delugo stated that his action was a "personal initiative." During the session, he asked the French Prime Minister Gabriel Attal about the country's position on recognizing a Palestinian state, but Attal evaded the question without providing an answer. Green Party leader Cécile Chalan asked, "Yes or no, will the French government recognize the Palestinian state?"
