European Union
The Observer view on the EU’s weakness on the world stage
der Leyen [ ] Ursula von der Leyen: ‘The EU needs to be more strategic, more assertive
Getty Images Ursula von der Leyen: ‘The EU needs to be more strategic, more assertive
a difficult start to 2020 for the EU and the new European commission, which took
geopolitical” role in international affairs, reflecting the EU’s status as the world’s largest
The EU needs to be more strategic, more assertive
Leyen told Josep Borrell, the newly nominated EU high representative for foreign and security policy
upon humiliation in recent weeks, leaving the EU looking more like an irrelevance than a
injury, the US then insisted that the EU
The point is that the EU opposes Trump’s “maximum pressure” policy towards
mostly refused to play ball. When the EU commission mandated the European Investment Bank to
likened to “extortion” by one official. The EU
the US trying, and succeeding, to direct EU foreign policy. It left Europe looking miserably
Weakness also characterises the EU’s approach to the Libyan conflict, which
today under UN and German auspices. But EU states appear at odds over which of
agreed. But the Turkish decision to ignore EU pleas and send mercenaries to join the
states show how little influence a sidelined EU has
or Palestine (where Trump has again ignored EU policy), Europe is punching well below its
imitators play destructive global power games, the EU can only watch and fret. And Britain