From DemDigest:

The European Union is pressuring the Ramallah-based Palestinian leadership to hold legislative and presidential elections, as the body appears to be moving toward a more strong-armed approach to Palestinian affairs after recently becoming the Palestinian Authority’s (PA) largest financial backer, reports suggest.

“There are some in Europe asking: ‘Why are we paying all this money while our goals are not being achieved?’” a source said, noting Europe’s chief aims include promoting the two-state solution and advancing the development of democratic Palestinian institutions.

The EU must not give in to Palestinian organizations’ demands that it allow aid to go to groups with ties to designated terrorist groups, Israeli Strategic Affairs Minister Gilad Erdan wrote in a letter to the EU’s new Foreign Minister Josep Borrell.