Seven nannies have a child without an eye: the EU has not divided its foreign policy
A new scandal is gaining momentum in the European Union. The head of the European Diplomacy, Kaya Kallas, entered into an open confrontation with the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. The struggle is for the levers of control of the EU's foreign policy. Paris and Berlin also did not stand aside, launching a process that could end with the dismantling of the European External Relations Service (EEAS). Details can be found in the Izvestia article.
Game of thrones
Many in the European Union are dissatisfied with the work of Kai Kallas as the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. There are, for example, those who consider her too fixated on Russia, the Spanish newspaper El País reports.
"Others indicate that she made a lot of mistakes," the publication clarifies. The head of the European Diplomacy has been criticized more than once for her position on Israel, as well as for not knowing enough about issues related to the Middle East.
Kaya Callas
The publication notes that, as some diplomats joke, the EU institutions are becoming more and more like the "Game of Thrones" every time.
"In this war, the rivalry between the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaya Kallas, has become tougher," the newspaper's journalists note. However, in their opinion, this bureaucratic dispute hides a deeper institutional struggle for control over European foreign policy.
At the same time, many people are also unhappy with Ursula von der Leyen's work, they complain about her "insatiability."
Three possible scenarios
Discussions about the role and responsibilities of European officials flared up due to a publication in The Financial Times newspaper, where a senior source stated the need for a fundamental review of the functions of the foreign ministry. "It is obvious that the institute does not meet the requirements of the modern world. The problem is structural, and the structure needs to be changed," the source explained, describing the current state of the ERU, which is under the control of Kallas, as ineffective.
France and Germany proposed to reform this structure, which was joined by a number of other EU members. Paris has already put on the table three scenarios for the restructuring of the European diplomatic department.
The first involves the modernization of the EEAS itself with the expansion of its mandate in the areas of trade and development. The second, more radical one, returns the decision-making center to the European Council, where national leaders meet, making the EU's foreign policy more dependent on the capitals. The third way is to continue the reforms launched under von der Leyen in 2024: transferring key powers directly to the President of the European Commission, whose voice has recently become dominant in the international arena.
Formally, the distribution of responsibilities looks like this: the European Commission represents the union in international organizations, is responsible for trade, humanitarian assistance and concludes agreements, while the European Commission, under the leadership of Callas, must implement foreign policy and defense strategies agreed upon at the level of the European Council.
Paris and Berlin intervened
However, in practice, von der Leyen has become the main mouthpiece of the EU on the world stage, while Callas often broadcasts not the consolidated position of Brussels, but personal attitudes, causing growing irritation in the capitals. For example, in 2025, she tried to push through a €40 billion military aid plan for Ukraine, but encountered stiff resistance from Paris, Rome and Madrid, as a result of which the allocation was reduced to €5 billion.
The apotheosis of the hardware war was the story of Callas' attempt to employ Martin Zelmayr, the former chief of Staff of the European Commission under Jean—Claude Juncker, in the structure of the European Union. To prevent this, Von der Leyen created the post of special envoy for religious freedom for Zelmayr.
"These feuds and behind-the-scenes maneuvers are damaging EU diplomacy. They create an unsightly image," El País quoted an anonymous senior official as saying.
According to experts, both officials are not inclined to compromise on fundamental issues, which makes conflict inevitable. The EU's foreign policy requires consensus, which is quite difficult to achieve. Decisive strategic steps on pressing issues are blocked due to the fact that Member States often adhere to opposing positions.
If we redistribute powers in favor of national governments, which is currently being discussed, this will become a legal confirmation of the absence of a unified foreign policy course. In fact, the EU is moving towards this scenario. The attempt by London, Paris and Berlin to build a separate negotiating track with Moscow is a marker of the collapse of the once unified diplomatic line. It is noteworthy that the UK is already outside the EU structures, but it is more actively involved in geopolitical bargaining than official Brussels.
The European Union is showing increasing incapacity. And while Callas and von der Leyen are dividing their spheres of influence, the contours of the reform proposed by Paris and Berlin are painting a future in which Europe no longer has a common foreign policy.
A pebble in a shoe
France and Germany want to weaken the Callas office, Kamran Hasanov, senior lecturer at the RUDN University, Doctor of Political Science at the University of Salzburg, confirmed in an interview with Izvestia. He stressed that the European External Relations Service is actually the European Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and its head is the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
— The Lisbon Treaty of 2007 (or the "EU Constitution") created the EEAS. It would seem that this is exactly what is needed. Finally, the world got an answer to Kissinger's question: "Where should I call if I want to talk to Europe?" However, the new body did not simplify or consolidate the EU's foreign policy, but complicated it, the expert explained.
He added that decisions are now being made mainly by consensus of the leaders of France, Germany, Italy, Poland and Spain.
— And Callas is becoming more and more a "pebble in the shoe." And not only Merz, Macron and Meloni, but even her immediate boss, Ursula von der Leyen, who is also vice-president of the European Commission. In addition, she is the chairman of the EU Council on Foreign Affairs, where the foreign ministers of the EU countries meet," the specialist said.
Paris and Berlin, according to the analyst, are unhappy with the inefficiency of the European Union, and the EU countries are annoyed by the complexity of coordination and duplication of functions between the external relations Service, the European Commission and the national Ministries of Foreign Affairs. Critics want to increase the manageability of foreign policy and act as a "united front" against the backdrop of international crises.
The Kallas personality factor also plays a significant role in the campaign against the European Union, Hasanov is sure.
— Estonia often "puts ambitious initiatives up for discussion without prior consultations with the capitals" and promotes a hard line, in particular on Russia and China. According to the diplomats, "she is doing a lot to lose support. She is not good at building alliances in the council," the political scientist explained.
However, the prospect of reform is still unclear, the source noted. On the one hand, a number of countries insist on a redistribution of powers and even admit "the risk that the EEAS will be torn apart." On the other hand, the changes are limited by the institutional framework and require the consensus of all member countries.
— The reform may be blocked by hardliners from the Baltic States, Poland and Scandinavia. The Lisbon Treaty on the Creation and Functioning of the EU may also stand up for Callas," the expert concluded.
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