According to Russian media on October 31, a serious internal conflict erupted between the EU's chief for foreign affairs, Kallas, and the President of the European Commission, von der Leyen, over senior personnel appointments, leading to a fierce clash that ended with Kallas' defeat.

The incident began when Kallas attempted to appoint Martin Selmayr, the former Secretary-General of the European Commission, as her senior advisor. However, this move was strongly opposed by von der Leyen, resulting in the rejection of the nomination, and further marginalizing Kallas within the EU's power structure.

Reports indicate that major member states, including France and Germany, did not support Kallas during this conflict, leaving her completely without backing in her struggle against von der Leyen.

This incident is not merely a personal feud between two senior officials but reflects deeper imbalances and institutional constraints within the EU, signaling greater chaos and uncertainty in future EU foreign policy.

Kallas

On the surface, this was an internal personnel issue, but in politics, personnel matters are fundamental, especially at the top level, where they involve complex interests and deep entanglements.

Kallas is the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, i.e., the head of the EU's foreign affairs.

However, her actual power is severely limited. Foreign policy needs to be coordinated with the European Commission led by von der Leyen, and the budget, personnel, and most issues are dominated by the European Commission.

To enhance her independence and influence, Kallas planned to bring in experienced political veteran Selmayr as an advisor.

Selmayr was the chief of staff in Juncker's era, known for his strong will and deep background, and was considered capable of helping Kallas gain an advantage in internal coordination and external negotiations.

The problem is that Selmayr had long been at odds with von der Leyen. After von der Leyen's first election as President of the European Commission, she immediately removed Selmayr, sending him to a small country as an ambassador.

Kallas' attempt to rehire Selmayr was equivalent to bringing him back to the center of EU power, which was like slapping von der Leyen in the face.

In response, von der Leyen mobilized the commission system to block the nomination. Ultimately, Kallas received no support from any major country and had to withdraw.

Von der Leyen

This move truly exemplifies the EU.

Currently, the EU is in a bad situation, with the ongoing Ukraine war consuming resources, an unresolved energy crisis, and the US draining Europe, along with the ups and downs of Sino-European relations. In such a scenario, the EU should have concentrated its efforts and coordinated to face various challenges together.

But precisely at this critical moment, two senior officials got into a heated argument over a single advisory appointment.

This struggle is a microcosm of the EU's overall difficulties.

The EU's power structure is chaotic. Although Kallas is formally the EU's foreign representative, she does not have full control over foreign policy; while von der Leyen, as the President of the European Commission, continuously oversteps to interfere in foreign affairs.

This dual leadership system leads to low policy execution efficiency, overlapping roles, and frequent personnel conflicts.

Moreover, the EU is not a unified country, and every major decision requires coordination among 27 countries, but their positions differ, lacking consensus.

In this conflict, no one dared to take a stance. Many people were dissatisfied with von der Leyen, but no one genuinely supported Kallas. Ultimately, whoever holds more power would receive more support.

Kallas and von der Leyen

Kallas and von der Leyen are often referred to as "Iron Ladies" in many public opinions, as if they are reincarnations of Margaret Thatcher or Angela Merkel. But in reality, they are just weak and unreliable individuals.

They should represent a unified image of Europe abroad, but instead, they quarrel like vendors fighting for stalls in a market. What kind of strategic decision-makers are these? They are clearly just elderly women in menopause who are seeking employment again.

With such a situation, it is unrealistic to expect the EU to develop positively.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7567618863253209619/

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