Duel at EU summit over foreign policy

 

Wiktor Nummelin/TT

 

Published 07.33 

          

EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Foreign Affairs Minister Kaja Kallas on their way to one of the Commission's weekly meetings in November 2025. Archive photo. Photo: Virginia Mayo/AP/TT

EU foreign policy will become both tougher and faster. The only question is who will decide.

The infected battle is creating a stir in Brussels.

More coordination will make EU foreign policy stronger and more modern while saving money.

At least that's what Germany and France hope, as they have proposed a major transformation of the EU's "foreign affairs ministry" – the EEAS.

The idea is that the relatively independent EEAS, which was created as late as 2010, will revert to being a regular directorate-general under the Commission, but at the same time will be given overall responsibility for a number of issues that are playing an increasingly important role in today's foreign policy: defence, neighbourhood policy, aid and perhaps even trade.

“Doesn't work”

Formally, this would give more power to the EU's own “foreign minister”, the foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas. On the other hand, she would be tied more closely to President Ursula von der Leyen, who clearly and willingly wants to be the one to run her entire Commission, with the help of her powerful chief of staff Björn Seibert.

It is clear that Kallas does not want such a situation, unless she has the final say.

– If we have issues where someone above me is the one who decides, it does not work. If we move everything to the Commission, the small member states in particular will lose control over foreign policy, said Kallas after last week's foreign ministers' meeting in Ireland.

Constant struggle

The role of foreign affairs chief has always been complicated, not least because many EU countries are keen to decide on foreign affairs themselves. Political background and cultural differences also play a role. Countries in the north and east have sighed heavily over how previous foreign ministers from Italy and Spain have led the operation. Now the grumbling is heard mainly from the Mediterranean about how things are working under the Estonian Kallas.

Sweden is one of the supporters, however.

- Absolutely. We are very like-minded. She also puts the cause of Ukraine high on the agenda. It is something that I think is completely existential, said Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard (M) when the reform issues were discussed at the meeting in Ireland.

Away with the veto?

The Foreign Minister is mainly hoping for success with another newly introduced proposal in which eleven countries, including Sweden, are pushing for more foreign policy decisions to be made by qualified majority, rather than by total unanimity.

– The focus should now be on getting things done. Stop internal bickering, which we unfortunately see too much of, and ensure that EU member states can deliver and not let individual countries stand in the way of important decisions all the time, said Malmer Stenergard.

Facts

Kallas and von der Leyen

Kaja Kallas (born 1977) has been the EU's foreign policy chief since 2024, formally with the title of Vice-President of the European Commission and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. She was previously Prime Minister of Estonia 2021–2024, party leader of the liberal Reform Party 2018–2024 and a Member of the European Parliament 2014–2018.

Ursula von der Leyen (born 1958) has been the President of the European Commission since 2019. She belongs to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and was Minister of Defense in Germany from 2013 to 2019 and before that Minister of Family Affairs and Labor since 2005.