Media: Middle East escalation sparks clash between von der Leyen and Kalas

The escalation of the Middle East conflict has triggered a clash between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaia Kalas, Politico reports, citing sources.

“It is no secret and nothing new that von der Leyen and her team of commissioners are content to sideline Kallas,” said an unnamed European official.

According to another source, the Commission President and the EU’s top diplomat did not communicate in the early days of the Middle East crisis, focusing instead on who should speak publicly and on what legal basis, rather than coordinating a unified position.

Traditionally, international relations coordination falls under the European External Action Service (EEAS).

However, as Politico notes, the current geopolitical situation is amplifying the influence of the Commission President and other commissioners. 

Von der Leyen insists that the newly created Directorate-General for the Middle East, North Africa, and the Persian Gulf is playing an increasingly active role in shaping EU foreign policy. In Brussels, this is seen as an attempt to diminish the influence of the EEAS.

By Khagan Isayev