Abu Mazen's promise to Macron broken: "Palestinian elections will be postponed"

Deputy Chairman of the Palestinian Authority, Hussein al-Sheikh, informed France of a delay of several months in the elections for the Palestinian Legislative Council, which were scheduled to take place on November 28, 2026. The decision comes after Abu Mazen committed to French President Emmanuel Macron to hold democratic elections, a commitment that was a significant part of France's declaration of recognition of a Palestinian state. Al-Sheikh justified the delay in a letter to French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot by citing "the worsening political, security, and economic conditions in the Palestinian territories," which he said affect the freedom of participation and the integrity of the democratic process. The announcement comes against the backdrop of a coalition agreement signed less than two weeks ago between Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and Mohammed Dahlan, aimed at inflicting a defeat on Abu Mazen. The article reports on the breaking of Abu Mazen's promise to Macron, using the word "broken" in the headline, but does not analyze the political implications of the delay on the PA's relations with France or on the process of recognizing a Palestinian state.