Strasbourg plenary week: Kaja Kallas faces Question Time on Iran, Israel and Syria as Parliament reviews EU foreign action
Strasbourg – The European Parliament opened its 18-21 May 2026 plenary session in Strasbourg yesterday, with President Roberta Metsola presiding over an agenda heavily focused on global security and trade challenges. The centrepiece of the week is the return of Question Time, with High Representative Kaja Kallas due to face MEPs on the EU’s strategy regarding the ongoing crises in the Middle East — Iran, Israel and Syria.
The return of Question Time after a long absence from the plenary calendar reflects renewed parliamentary scrutiny of European external action, particularly after the multi-front escalation of Middle East tensions in 2025-2026. Kallas, the former Estonian Prime Minister who succeeded Josep Borrell as the EU’s chief diplomat in December 2024, has spent much of her mandate navigating the complex aftermath of US-Israel operations in Iran, Russia’s ongoing war against Ukraine, and the broader reshaping of Euro-Atlantic security.
Multiple flashpoints on the agenda
Beyond the Middle East Question Time, MEPs will debate and vote this week on several major files:
- Foreign investment screening — a final vote on revised rules to better protect EU strategic sectors against acquisitions by non-EU entities
- Single market reform — discussions with Commission and Council representatives on removing barriers, improving conditions for European businesses and ensuring global competitiveness
- EU cybersecurity preparedness in view of advanced AI systems and persistent state-sponsored threats
- Asylum and migration return regulation — Parliament and Council negotiators will attempt to reach a deal on updated common return rules for third-country nationals
- Fertilisers Action Plan — debate following the Commission’s strategy presented today
European Order of Merit ceremony
A symbolic moment of the week is the Tuesday ceremony honouring the first laureates of the European Order of Merit, an award initiated by the Parliament in 2025 to recognise individuals who made significant contributions to European integration. The 20 laureates announced in March include former German Chancellor Angela Merkel, former Solidarność leader and Polish President Lech Wałęsa, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, all of whom will become Distinguished Members of the European Order of Merit.
Trade and budget files
On the trade front, Parliament and Council will attempt to reach an agreement on two trade legislation proposals relating to the EU-US “Turnberry deal” on tariff and trade exchanges announced in July 2025. Discussions on new revenue sources for the EU long-term budget, including potential contributions from online gambling, are also on the agenda.
The plenary closes on Thursday 21 May with a series of formal votes that will shape EU positioning ahead of the June European Council and the next inter-institutional negotiations on the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework.
