Who Speaks on Behalf of the European Union? - What the Chaotic Reactions of the EU to the Israel-Hamas War Reveal About the State of European Foreign Policy

Abstract

“It’s a cacophony. It’s ridiculous”. This is how an EU diplomat described the flow of EU statements following the outbreak of the war between Israel and Hamas. The divergent reactions reveal the existence of institutional tensions about the Union’s external representation, which undermine the coherence and credibility of the EU’s external action. The war between Israel and Hamas concerns issues of foreign and security policy. Whether one likes it or not, this is an area where the Commission has a more limited role – also with respect to external representation. A certain restraint or, at the very least, closer coordination with the Member States and the European External Action Service could have been expected.

Keywords

• European Foreign Policy
• Israel-Gaza War
• Israel-Hamas War