U.S. wants to see "strong EU foreign policy chief"

U.S. wants to see "strong EU foreign policy chief"

"After the controversial nomination of former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker as future European Commission president, the EU now needs to nominate a president of the European Council and a foreign policy chief," Leigh writes, and adds:

"The choice of the next high representative for foreign policy, whose role is combined with commission vice-president for external relations, is particularly important given the threats to the EU’s values and interests from armed conflict, dysfunctional democracy, and state failure in North Africa and the Middle East, a continuing conflict with Russia, and instability in Eastern Europe."

The text criticizes the EU for "focusing more on a potential nominee’s gender, political orientation, and geographical origin than on qualifications for the job," and advises EU leaders to "set aside their habitual politicking and summon the courage to appoint an experienced senior foreign policy practitioner."

"A leader is needed who will not be afraid to take initiatives and who can build consensus among the member states for conflict prevention, conflict management and, when necessary, rapid reaction," the blog post, published under the headline, "Wanted: A strong EU foreign policy chief," further argued, and remarked:

"The term 'high representative' rather than 'EU foreign minister' was chosen because of the member states’ squeamishness about creating a competitor at the EU level. However the EU’s foreign policy chief needs to be an established figure whom the foreign ministers of the United States, Russia, China, Japan, India, Brazil, Iran, Israel, Egypt, and other states respect as an equal."

Leigh suggests that would be "useful for Juncker, as Commission president, to appoint a commissioner for Wider Europe to take on the daily work with challenging partners in the EU’s neighborhood."

"The appointment of a convincing European figure as foreign policy chief will help to confound the image of a continent turned in on itself with declining influence in the world. It will raise the EU’s profile in world politics and enable it to tackle pressing problems in its own backyard. The opportunity should not be missed," the GMF analysis concluded.