Euractiv: EU summit set for tough debate over Kaja Kallas’ future

EU leaders are expected to engage in a contentious debate over the future of Kaja Kallas and the European Union’s diplomatic service at a summit before the end of the year, according to a document obtained by Euractiv.

The institutional dispute is set to move to the forefront of the political agenda after Germany and France called for a major overhaul of the European External Action Service (EEAS), led by Kallas, and pushed for the issue to be discussed by the end of 2026.

In a paper obtained by Euractiv, Paris and Berlin outlined plans to largely integrate the 5,000-strong EEAS, around one-third of whose personnel are seconded national diplomats, into the European Commission.

The confidential diplomatic proposal argued that such a restructuring would be needed to ensure a “stronger, swifter and more coordinated” EU foreign policy.

The joint initiative, dated August and circulated ahead of last week’s meeting of EU foreign ministers, was initially drafted by Germany and subsequently revised following input from France.

Germany had previously drawn up its own proposals in a separate document, which was also obtained by Euractiv.

A comparison of the two documents highlights significant differences between the German and French positions, indicating that the two capitals do not fully agree on the role Kallas should assume within the restructured system.

The Franco-German paper explicitly proposes that Kallas become an “executive vice president” of the European Commission, a provision absent from Germany’s separate document. Berlin has questioned the idea as it seeks to reinforce the authority of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

The joint proposal further suggests that part of the European Commission’s inner decision-making structure — specifically, the foreign policy units within its secretariat-general — should be brought under the same national staffing quota currently applied to the EEAS. Under the existing arrangement, at least one-third of EEAS staff must come from national foreign services.

Such a move would substantially expand the influence national governments could exert over EU foreign policymaking while opening the Commission’s core administrative structures to national diplomats, reflecting a key French demand.

Kallas, meanwhile, has sought to reassert control over the reform process, openly criticising the Franco-German proposal as unpopular among EU member states. Speaking last week, she argued that attempts to strengthen her position within the Commission would ultimately prove unworkable because the Commission president is “actually deciding” foreign policy.

By Jeyhun Aghazada