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EU Observer (17 March 2026)

Nacho Sanchez AMOR

The latest litmus test for the EU, caused by the regional conflict provoked by the unlawful military intervention in Iran by the US and Israel, offers a possibility to revise an aspect of EU foreign policy that risks being overlooked among the geopolitical and security considerations: the silent mutation altering in practice the functioning of EU foreign policy as designed in the treaties. 

This topic, which I have been addressing since 2022 in debates, articles and written questions, is finally gaining traction in media and political debate, and refers to an ongoing undercurrent that dates back, at least, to the first von der Leyen European Commission (2019-2024).

The EU sought to solve Henry Kissinger´s apocryphal question (‘Who do I call if I want to speak to Europe?’) when it equipped itself with a high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and vice-president of the European Commission, at the helm of a European External Action Service (EEAS), to address a perceived diplomatic gap.

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