Comment on the EU Foreign Affairs Representative: Sensitivity of the steamroller

With his lack of sensitivity, EU foreign policy chief Borrell does not present a good image in the Middle East conflict. Instead of acting as an honest broker, he is weakening Europe’s foreign policy.

The Europeans have a problem in Middle East policy. His name is Josep Borrell. The 76-year-old Spaniard is the EU’s chief diplomat and officially bears the illustrious name of High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union.

Contrary to what this title suggests, Borrell, with the sensitivity of a steamroller, has destroyed pretty much everything that was once the core of Europe’s foreign policy in recent weeks.

Shaking heads and rolling eyes in Brussels

Making peace in the Middle East, mediating between the conflicting parties, between Israel and the Palestinians, and staying in touch with these two sides, that would have been Borrell’s task – especially after the murders by the militant Islamist Hamas.

Instead, the Spaniard never missed an opportunity to take sides unilaterally: always in favor of the Palestinians, always to the detriment of Israel. Loudly and single-handedly, without consultation with Europe’s foreign ministers, he called for a ceasefire – Israel’s right to self-defense was only left in the subordinate clause.

Borrell never found the right words for the monstrosity of the Hamas attack. And then the man with the sonorous title was surprised that the Israeli government no longer wanted to welcome him.

There was still an appointment for him this week. In Kibbutz Be’eri, in the middle of the battlefield of Hamas’ devastation, Borrell couldn’t think of much more than good advice for the Israelis not to let their anger consume them. In Brussels this only causes head shaking and eye rolling.

Thicket national Individual interests

Part of the whole picture – and to be fair to Borrell – is that nowhere are the Europeans more divided than in Middle East policy. Finding a common line in the thicket of individual national interests is not easy.

Extremes collide: On the one hand, there are countries like Spain and Ireland, which, remembering their own historical experiences with oppression, still glorify the Palestinians as a kind of liberation movement. Far removed from this are countries like Germany and Austria, which also draw completely different lessons from their own history: that Israel deserves support against all forces that question the state.

Different Perspectives as an opportunity

Can Europe even speak with one voice? Probably not, historical experience and national interests speak against it. But therein lies an opportunity: France and Spain have excellent contacts in the Arab world, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock are heard in Israel like only representatives from Washington.

Almost all European governments have their own, well-functioning diplomatic lines to the Middle East. A real network was created. Chief diplomat Borrell should have relied on this: as a mediator, as an honest broker, he would have had to win the trust of both the Arabs and the Israelis. He has the necessary instruments of power for this, plenty of them: money.

And the EU could withdraw that at some point – or at least threaten to do so: it is the world’s largest donor to the Palestinian Authority.

Lessons for the period after the European elections

Borrell will now be in office for six months, until the European elections in the summer. The position will then be filled again. One can only hope that the right lessons are learned. Instead of providing big countries with big positions – which was Borrell’s trump card four years ago because Spain, his country, had not yet received anything representative – and instead of continuing as before, Europe’s foreign ministers should look for the best. Origin doesn’t matter, but the ability to put one’s own ego aside does.

Europe’s chief diplomat should be less of a boss than a diplomat, and he should be able to do more than want to.