European Union (EU) member states are reportedly discussing a major overhaul of the bloc’s foreign affairs apparatus due to dissatisfaction with the functioning of the diplomatic service and the performance of its chief, Kaja Kallas.
According to reports in Western media citing senior European diplomats, a serious crisis has emerged within the EU’s foreign policy management. Member states believe that the EU’s external action service has failed to keep pace with global developments in the current international order and has become overly bureaucratic and ineffective.
A senior official stated:
“It is quite clear that the foreign affairs service is not functioning as a modern diplomatic institution should. The structure is inefficient. Since the problem is structural, the entire system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up.”
Two Scenarios on the Table
The report states that allies who are dissatisfied with the powers held by EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas are considering two main options:
- Stripping Kallas of her powers and placing the institution directly under the full control of the European Commission and the member states.
- Limiting the diplomatic chief’s room for maneuver and reducing her independent decision-making authority.
“Kallas Is Acting on Her Own”
Sources point to significant confusion over responsibilities and a lack of coordination among the foreign ministries of EU member states, the European Commission, the European Council’s external relations bodies, and the High Representative’s office.
According to the report, these problems have been exacerbated by Kallas’s approach. It noted that:
“Kallas’s tendency to present her personal views on sensitive issues, such as EU–China relations, as if they were the agreed position of the European Union before receiving approval from member-state capitals has increased concerns.”
Western media had previously criticized Kallas as being “part of Brussels’ worst leadership team of the past decade” and accused her of “missing broader global issues because of an obsession with Russia.”
First Reaction from Russia: “She Has Annoyed Everyone”
The debate surrounding Kallas and the broader structural crisis in European diplomacy has also drawn attention in Moscow.
Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Special Representative of the Russian President for Investment and Economic Cooperation, commented on the report via his account on X.
Dmitriev wrote:
“Kaja has managed to get on everyone’s nerves, without exception.”