Who is Borrell’s successor?
Who is Borrell’s successor? Josep Borrell, the Spanish official responsible for EU foreign policy, will be succeeded in less than three months by Kaja Kallas, the former Prime Minister of Estonia. What do we know about Ms. Kallas’s individual views on Iran, Israel, Russia, and China?
Kallas is 47 years old and a liberal politician, whereas Mr. Borrell was a seasoned socialist at 77. Based on this, at first glance, many analysts believe that the European Union’s foreign policy will be pursued with more agility from the beginning of December 2024. However, that’s not the whole story.
Kallas, who became Estonia’s first female Prime Minister in 2021, was one of the first EU leaders to sound the alarm about Vladimir Putin’s expansionist plans, the President of Russia.
She repeatedly warned European leaders, especially those in the East, about falling into the trap of good trade relations with Russia.
Therefore, a group of experts believes that Ms. Kallas is a suitable choice for leading the EU’s foreign policy, especially in a period when the union’s focus will be on strengthening defensive capabilities against Russia. Thus, it seems that Kallas’s main priority as the EU’s chief diplomat will be ensuring Europeans’ readiness to prevent Russia’s future advancements.
She is the proposer of the EU’s loan proposal to member countries to strengthen their defense capabilities, a plan that, despite gaining France’s support for finalization, faces opposition from Germany. Of course, Kallas will also face other major challenges in the EU’s foreign policy domain, such as pursuing the EU’s new approach towards China and strengthening the EU’s mediating role in dealing with the Iran challenge and the Middle East crisis centered on Israel.
The former Prime Minister of Estonia does not have a special angle on the EU’s recent approach towards Iran. She has repeatedly criticized this country for supporting Russia during the invasion of Ukraine and has supported sanctions against it. Although Kallas personally supports the two-state solution for resolving the existing crisis in Palestinian territories, she is considered a strong supporter of Israel, as she criticized Iran’s missile and drone attacks on Israeli soil and expressed satisfaction with Western countries’ military support to intercept missiles and drones fired at Israel.
She has consistently followed the EU’s policy of strongly supporting Israel’s right to self-defense while also calling for respect for international humanitarian laws in Gaza. Kallas has always condemned Hamas’s terrorist attacks. She also aligns with EU leaders who are discontent with China for its alignment with Russia and supports the EU’s plan to establish a new balance in political and economic relations with China.
As a feminist politician, the former Prime Minister of Estonia has repeatedly spoken about the need for Iranian and Afghan women and girls to enjoy fundamental freedoms and has called for intensified international efforts in this area. Kallas is under pressure from her critics, who argue that outside of her extensive experience in political relations with Eastern European countries, she lacks the necessary capability to create the required interaction in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.
According to them, Josep Borrell, especially on the issue of Israel and Palestinians, played a very active role based on a personal belief and was striving to increase pressure on Israel. In his latest efforts, he also reported the EU’s willingness to regain control over the Gaza and Egypt border.
Borrell, based on his socialist approach, also believed in establishing a serious balance between the mutual demands of the United States and the Islamic Republic of Iran and resisted the efforts of European hardline factions against Iran as much as possible.
Evin Incir, a socialist member of the European Parliament, told Euronews that since Kallas has not been much involved in these issues, she is somewhat worried that the Gaza war might not be at the top of her agenda. However, Mika Aaltola, a centrist member of the European Parliament, reminded Euronews that under Kallas’s leadership, Estonia has always taken a pragmatic approach to issues concerning the Gaza Strip.
While some praise Borrell’s efforts to balance the opposing stances of EU member countries in various disputes, others believe that during Josep Borrell’s tenure, the EU’s credibility, especially in the Middle East, has been tarnished.
In such circumstances, Kallas is expected to not only overcome the existing gap among EU member countries on issues such as military support for Ukraine and the solution to the Israel-Palestine issue but also to strengthen the EU’s position in resolving international disputes as a global power better than during Josep Borrell’s five-year term.