Financial Times: The European Union is considering stripping Kallas of her powers as head of the diplomatic service
EU member states are considering options for a possible radical overhaul of the European External Action Service in light of the failures of the institution and its head, Kaja Kallas.
The Financial Times reported on Thursday, citing five senior officials familiar with the discussions, that the reform aims to improve the bloc’s response to the geopolitical crises it faces, after these crises prompted European politicians to question the effectiveness of the European External Action Service in coordinating decision-making in a timely manner.
It’s also noted that Kallas often expresses her personal opinions on issues that should be addressed collectively.
The newspaper quoted one of the sources as saying: “It’s clear that the European External Action Service isn’t functioning as it should in the modern world… Its dysfunctional… The problem is structural, so this structure must be reformed”.
Paris, Berlin and other capitals are considering options that include withdrawing powers from Kallas and the European External Action Service, which has a budget of one billion euros a year, and returning them to the European Commission and member states.
According to the sources, the reform proposal includes potential restrictions on the independence of the head of European diplomacy and weakens her control over missions around the world, which poses a real risk of the collapse of the European Union’s diplomatic apparatus.
European officials express their belief that reforming the diplomatic apparatus could save money in Brussels and significantly reduce bureaucracy.
Officials in some European capitals have indicated, in private conversations, that there is significant overlap in powers and a lack of coordination between the European diplomatic service, the foreign ministries of member states, and the foreign affairs departments of the European Commission and the Council of the European Union.
