.
European Parliament
07/09/2024 - 8:00 GMT+2 Pending a confirmation vote by lawmakers, Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister wish the EU’s top diplomatic role - the High Representative for Foreign Policy - helming the bloc’s external action in regions including Africa, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. She has a limited track record in diplomatic engagements beyond Europe’s eastern flank - her support for Ukraine has defined her rise to international recognition. Kallas is under pressure to prove she has the experience and commitment to steer the European Union’s diplomacy beyond its eastern flank. If Kallas is to let her support to Ukraine define her mandate, it could lead to further ambiguity over the famous question, "Who do I call if I want to call Europe?" coined by former US Secretary of State Kissinger. Some in Brussels fear Kallas' term in office will be inevitably centred on the war in Ukraine and the progressive erosion of the decision-making power of the High Representative - who can only act with the unanimous endorsement of all 27 member states - means the EU's relevance in the Global South could further diminish. And Von der Leyen has pledged to appoint a new European Commissioner for the Mediterranean. It means the current portfolio of Várhelyi will be split to delineate the so-called 'enlargement' countries - both in the Western Balkans and the Eastern flank - from other neighbourhood countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The decision is a reflection of von der Leyen's double standards in how she views cooperation with the two regions, Amnesty International's Baoumi said. The enlargement group will be more values-driven, seeking to anchor democracy, stability and rule of law, whereas the Commissioner for the Mediterranean will focus more on issues connected to energy, security, migration and quite vague cooperation in areas of mutual interest. "This is a very clear message that the promotion of human rights, democracy and the rule of law is reserved for a certain group of countries that have a future in the European Union." Others say that the damage that has been wrought on the EU’s reputation in the Middle East and the Global South during Borrell's mandate is irreparable - the EU has lost whatever remaining credibility, clout or influence it had in recent years, and Kallas will hardly be able to change anything at all. Among Borrell's proposals to exert diplomatic pressure on Israel are sanctioning extremist Israeli ministers and convening Israel to discuss its compliance with human rights obligations in the EU-Israel cooperation agreement. He has manoeuvered to table these proposals despite member states' objections. The risk for Kallas is not being able to learn the lessons of previous High Representatives in terms of how you deal with the member state dynamics and internal decision-making processes. Under Kallas, more "pro-Israel' decision-makers within the wider executive, including Commission president von der Leyen herself, could wield more influence on the bloc’s response to the Gaza war. Von der Leyen faced fierce criticism for her immediate response to the conflict when she failed to speak up about the humanitarian emergency engulfing the Gaza Strip. Civil servants have accused the institution that employs them of failing to uphold its ideals of human rights, peace and the rule of law. Powerful civil servants within the European External Action Service (EEAS) bureaucracy have aimed to tighten their grip on the EU’s Middle East policy. A greater role for the Commissioner for the Mediterranean in the EU's relations with Middle Eastern countries could mean Kallas' relevance as an actor in the region being further diluted. (Source: euronews / „EP’/
.4 9 10
