EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas is pushing back against Franco-German proposals to reform the bloc's diplomatic service, the EEAS. She argues that implementation of existing treaties, not the institutional setup, is the core issue.
The outcome of this internal debate will shape the future structure and effectiveness of the EU's foreign policy apparatus, impacting its ability to respond to global challenges and potentially shifting power dynamics between the High Representative and the European Commission.
Kaja Kallas, the EU's chief diplomat, is actively opposing Franco-German proposals to overhaul the European External Action Service (EEAS), the bloc's diplomatic corps. Kallas argues that the current foreign policy challenges facing the EU, exacerbated by conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, and tensions with China and the U.S., stem from issues with decision-making rules and treaty implementation, rather than the institutional structure of the EEAS itself.
These Franco-German plans, detailed in a paper seen by POLITICO, reportedly involve integrating a significant portion of EEAS staff into the European Commission. While the proposals aim to reinforce Kallas' formal role, her allies express concern that this could lead to the Commission, under President Ursula von der Leyen, gaining greater control over foreign policy.
Kallas indicated that a majority of EU foreign ministers share her reservations about the proposed institutional changes. To counter the Franco-German initiative, Kallas is engaging with EU governments and has appointed Kajsa Ollongren as the new EEAS secretary-general. Ollongren is touring EU capitals to gather input for alternative reform proposals, potentially including the formation of a 'council of elders' task force composed of former EEAS officials like Belén Martínez Carbonell and senior official Charles Fries to explore internal reforms.