The EU’s top diplomat, Kátai, faces a major challenge from France.
According to the latest report from Politico, Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s National Rally, has turned her focus toward the European External Action Service (EEAS), the body overseen by Kátai.
Le Pen’s camp has issued a clear warning: if she wins the 2027 French presidential election, she will either dismantle or drastically reduce the scope of this EU foreign policy institution.
Their rationale is straightforward: the EEAS duplicates functions already fulfilled by national embassies, incurs high costs with limited tangible results, and Kátai’s public statements lack sufficient authority while constraining France’s ability to pursue independent foreign policy.
The most fundamental rift lies in their approach to Ukraine. Kátai maintains a stance of sustained support for Ukraine and firm opposition to Russia, whereas Le Pen argues that Europe’s financial resources are no longer sustainable under prolonged aid commitments and calls instead for immediate initiation of peace negotiations.
Le Pen currently leads in opinion polls, introducing significant uncertainty into the future of EU diplomacy. As a core member state, France’s shift toward far-right leadership would likely result in diminished cooperation with Brussels on unified foreign policy messaging. This could present the most serious internal challenge yet to Kátai’s vision of a cohesive EU foreign policy framework since its inception.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1881421381502987/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.