In his 2025 draft report on implementing the common foreign and security policy, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Foreign Affairs David McAllister (EPP, German) recommends “a more assertive pursuit of the EU’s strategic objectives, while leveraging partnerships and alliances based on shared interests”.
In his draft report, Mr McAllister points out that the European Union’s external action requires credible values-based engagement, but that relying on normative power alone is not enough. He calls for the Union’s external action to have greater impact, regretting that its global visibility and political influence are often less than its financial and diplomatic footprint.
The MEP also advocates for rapidly concluding political agreements with partner countries, “thereby establishing the EU as a reliable strategic anchor”.
To be a strong transatlantic partner, the Union itself must become stronger and more capable, particularly in terms of defence and security, says Mr McAllister, who also points out that with the United States’ more transactional approach to multilateralism and European security, it is urgent for the EU and its Member States to seek strategic autonomy and invest in credible and sufficient defence capabilities.
The MEP also considers that China’s accelerated militarisation and its military and political partnerships with Russia and North Korea are a “key geopolitical challenge of the 21st century”. In his view, “the EU must adopt a multidimensional strategy that combines principled diplomacy aimed at upholding international law with economic engagement that safeguards our interests”.
David McAllister also points out that the Russian aggression must fail and “thereby signal that force does not prevail over law“ and discourage others from attempting to defy borders by military means. He also expresses his “deep concern about the current state of humanitarian norms and the disregard for the protection of civilians under international law in the context of the protracted conflicts across the Middle East”.
See the draft report: https://aeur.eu/f/ig9 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)