European Union officials have expressed their concerns over Ursula von der Leyen’s recent unannounced trip to Israel, a move criticised for failing to condemn Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip.
The controversy has raised concerns about the president of the European Commission overstepping her role and making decisions without adhering to established EU guidelines.
EU foreign policy decisions are meant to be made according to established guidelines, as emphasised by the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell.
“The official position of the European Union with any foreign policy [issue] is being fixed — I repeat — by the guidelines,” Borrell told journalists during his visit to Beijing.
Nathalie Loiseau, a prominent MEP and senior member of French President Emmanuel Macron’s Renew Europe group, echoed these sentiments, questioning von der Leyen’s involvement in foreign policy matters that do not fall under her mandate.
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She wrote in a post on X: “I don’t understand what the president of the Commission has to do with foreign policy.”
Critics have also pointed to von der Leyen’s previous actions, including her trip to Tunisia in July, during which she oversaw a deal to provide President Kais Saied with over €1 billion to manage irregular migration.
Additionally, her announcement of an investigation into Chinese subsidies for electric vehicles raised eyebrows among member states.
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These instances have reinforced concerns about von der Leyen’s tendency to act unilaterally, without proper consultation with EU member states.
One EU diplomat, speaking anonymously to Politico, expressed their discontent, saying: “She has increasingly been behaving like a queen.”
The sentiment is shared by others within the EU, with frustrations primarily contained within Brussels so far. However, there is a growing fear that this discontent could escalate, leading to a potential rebellion from EU capitals.
Such a scenario could jeopardise von der Leyen’s chances for a second term as Commission president after the upcoming European Parliament elections next June.
“This is a problem that needs to be fixed,” another EU diplomat speaking to Politico emphasised. “The next term will be about implementing decisions, while the first was about announcing them.”
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