TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — European politicians have voiced support for Taiwan after President Lai Ching-te’s (賴清德) trip was delayed due to revoked overflight permits.
On Tuesday, Lai postponed his planned visit to Eswatini after Seychelles, Mauritius, and Madagascar withdrew overflight permission under pressure from China. He had been scheduled to travel from Wednesday to Sunday and instead sent a special envoy.
Italian Senate Vice President Gian Marco Centinaio said Taiwan’s democratically elected president and its people should be free to travel and maintain diplomatic relations. He said the incident shows how external pressure can disrupt normal international exchanges, CNA reported Saturday.
Centinaio warned that China’s growing influence over third countries could harm Taiwan’s legitimate diplomatic engagement. He added that rising tensions and increased military activity in the Taiwan Strait risk undermining regional stability.
Italian lawmakers Isabella De Monte, Alessandro Cattaneo, and Fabrizio Benzoni described the denial of overflight access as a form of coercion. They said restricting airspace for political reasons sets a dangerous precedent for international diplomacy, per CTS News.
They said blocking a presidential flight sends a political signal aimed at isolating Taiwan. They added that Taiwan should be able to engage with the international community without interference, Rti reported.
German lawmaker Klaus-Peter Willsch said the incident shows that political pressure has extended into the aviation sector. “Overflight rights should be based on safety and technical considerations, not political influence,” he said, CNA reported.
Willsch warned that using overflight permissions as political tools could undermine the Chicago Convention, which sets global rules for civil aviation. He said such actions risk damaging global trust, safety, and stability in international air travel.
He added that Taiwan has long faced pressure when it comes to aviation, including its exclusion from the International Civil Aviation Organization. He said Taiwan should be included in global systems as an important partner.
German-Taiwan Parliamentary Friendship Group Chair Till Steffen also called for stronger European support for Taiwan. He said Europe should take a clearer stance in backing democratic partners, per Economic Daily News.
