On Monday 3 February, the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas, said that the EU in the world must be “the antithesis of the autocratic axis”.
“The EU around the world must be the EU we want to see in the world: the antithesis of the autocratic axis that is forming today”, she stressed in a speech to EU ambassadors.
The High Representative highlighted several areas of work. “Ukraine needs to be our top priority”, she reiterated. Ms Kallas also called for stronger alliances with like-minded countries.
Another priority is the search for peace in the Middle East. “Progress can be made. And the EU can have a role. If we are not there, around the table, asking the right questions, pushing for inclusiveness and championing democratic values, then who is?”, she wondered.
According to the head of diplomacy, it is necessary to maintain mutually beneficial partnerships. The High Representative also wanted the EU to be more transactional in its relations. “Look at Turkey and the Gulf States in peace mediation roles with their own strategic agendas and transactional approaches. The question is whether the EU should become transactional too. In many ways, it is time we should”, she explained. In her view, there are common interests here, an area for cooperation.
The head of diplomacy warned that the mistakes made with Russia should not be repeated with China. “Dependencies make us vulnerable. When necessary, the EU has proved that it can free itself from Russia. So if we want to get rid of the risks associated with China, we can”, she stressed.
And to “increase Europe’s reach”, Ms Kallas felt that the EU delegations should “reflect (the) priorities, (the) interests and (the) ambition on the ground”, and she intends to strengthen the reach of the EU network around the world.
A few weeks ago, internal documents proposed reorganising the EU’s diplomatic fabric, with potential reductions in delegations (see EUROPE 13558/4, 13535/15). (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)