Monday

2nd Oct 2023

Analysis

Borrell wants a bolder, faster EU — and scolds diplomats to get to it

  • EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confessed that Europe did not believe the Americans when they said Russia will attack Ukraine, and did not believe Ukraine can fight back so fiercely (Photo: European Commission)
Listen to article

Most in Brussels were not keen to follow the speech of EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell on Monday (10 October) to EU ambassadors. It is very much an internal EU event.

When people started pouring over the speech on Tuesday, it turned out Borrell not only scolded his own diplomats seated around the world, he told them to be bolder, faster and communicate the EU's narrative more assertively.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The former Spanish foreign minister laid out plainly some uncomfortable statements about where Europe stands and where it is headed in a multipolar world, stuck between a competing US and China.

"This is not a moment when we are going to send flowers to all of you saying that you are beautiful," he warned EU ambassadors early in his speech, which was refreshingly honest in the barren land of EU-speak.

Borrell said Europe's prosperity for decades was decoupled from its security. Prosperity was based on China and Russia in terms of market and energy. Security was based on the US, but what happens if Trump comes back, Borrell asks.

That comfortable world is gone, Borrell said, noting what even former German chancellor Angela Merkel — now often dismissed for maintaining solid relationship with Russia — said before: Europe must do more on its own.

"Clearly, today, we have to find new ways for energy from inside the European Union, as much as we can, because we should not change one dependency for another," he said.

"The adjustment will be tough, and this will create political problems," he warned, adding that the "radical right is increasing in our democracies".

Borrell said Europe should listen more, because not every country who is on the fence about which camp to belong to — nations such as Turkey, India, Brazil — will follow Europe.

Borrell confessed that Europe did not believe the Americans when they said Russia will attack Ukraine, and did not believe Ukraine could fight back so fiercely. The escalation of tensions in Taiwan came as a surprise, the severity of food crisis was not fully understood, and the degree of influence of Russia in Africa unexpected.

He said that the "messy multipolarity" is structured by the the US-China competition, which is complemented by a democracy vs. authoritarian divide as well.

Borrell said there are "a lot of authoritarian regimes" on "our side". "There is an authoritarian trend. Sometimes, they are still wearing the democracy suit, but they are no longer democracies," he added.

The 75-year-old politician called it a "perfect storm" that everyone is following the US's Federal Reserve's interest rate hike, spiralling towards a recession.

He warned that "old recipes do not work anymore", and "we have mounting security challenges and our internal cohesion is under threat".

However, for now, his statements remain little more than a curiousity.

"It is hard to tell at this point, if it is a very old stand up artist or if this means a sea-change in the EEAS policy going forward," one EU diplomat told EUobserver about Borrell's speech, referring to the European External Action Service (EEAS), the union's diplomatic service.

'Best-informed guy'

In perhaps the most suprising bit of the speech, Borrell scolded his diplomats for having to find out developments from newspapers and not from their reports, saying "I should be the best-informed guy in the world".

"I want you to be more reactive, 24 hours a day. We are living in a crisis, you have to be in the crisis mode," Borrell said.

The EU diplomat told us he was "baffled" by this remark, as diplomats are rarely able to compete with news outlets, and their work is more based on analysis and drawing up policy options.

Borrell also told diplomats to engage in the battle of narratives, and to also deploy empathy and emotions, not only reason as part of their arguments.

"This is a battle that we are not winning because we are not fighting enough. We do not understand that it is a fight. Apart from conquering a space, you have to conquer the minds," he said, adding: "It is a big battle: who is going to win the spirits and the souls of people?"

This is easier said than done, as Borrell and his diplomatic corps face obstacles.

"It is very hard to be assertive if you have 27 countries to coordinate with [for a statement]," commented the EU diplomat.

Scholz wants majority voting for EU sanctions

In a speech about the future of Europe, the German chancellor argued for majority voting in some policy areas — and institutional reform to prepare for enlargement eastwards.

Knives out for Borrell, as Russia divides EU

Some MEPs have called for the top diplomat's resignation over his trip to Moscow, while Germany's stubborn backing for a Russia pipeline risks aggravating EU division.

Russia humiliates Borrell in Moscow

Russia expelled European diplomats and harangued the EU on human rights, while Borrell went off-script on Cuba in Moscow on Friday.

Opinion

Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war

While Belarus has not sent its own troops to fight Russia's war in Ukraine, the Minsk dictatorship has been heavily involved. As a result, Belarus must be punished for its involvement — what can the world do to sanction Belarus?

Latest News

  1. EU women promised new dawn under anti-violence pact
  2. Three steps EU can take to halt Azerbaijan's mafia-style bullying
  3. Punish Belarus too for aiding Putin's Ukraine war
  4. Added-value for Russia diamond ban, as G7 and EU prepare sanctions
  5. EU states to agree on asylum crisis bill, say EU officials
  6. Poland's culture of fear after three years of abortion 'ban'
  7. Time for a reset: EU regional funding needs overhauling
  8. Germany tightens police checks on Czech and Polish border

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  2. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators, industry & healthcare experts at the 24th IMDRF session, September 25-26, Berlin. Register by 20 Sept to join in person or online.
  3. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  4. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA
  5. International Medical Devices Regulators Forum (IMDRF)Join regulators & industry experts at the 24th IMDRF session- Berlin September 25-26. Register early for discounted hotel rates
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersGlobal interest in the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations – here are the speakers for the launch

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of Ministers20 June: Launch of the new Nordic Nutrition Recommendations
  2. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  3. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  4. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us