EU foreign policy chief criticizes Von der Leyen’s leadership style
A senior diplomat cited by the outlet said Kallas views von der Leyen as “a dictator,” adding that there is “little or nothing she can do about that.” Previous reports have described a tense rivalry between the two officials, with von der Leyen generally seen as holding the upper hand.
Politico highlighted five Brussels officials it considers to have the most challenging roles, including Kallas and Paula Pinho, von der Leyen’s spokesperson. The outlet noted that Pinho is often left uninformed due to the president’s “metaphorical bunker” approach and strict need-to-know protocols, making the current commission at times even more secretive than the Vatican.
Last week, von der Leyen survived her fourth no-confidence vote in the European Parliament, called by non-centrist lawmakers who criticized her for a lack of transparency and for pursuing policies they view as harmful to member states. Tensions with Kallas reportedly arise from the commission president’s efforts to marginalize the European External Action Service in key foreign policy decisions.
Kallas, a former Estonian prime minister, has also faced criticism regarding her role, partly due to her outspoken anti-Russian stance. In September, she was mocked by Moscow and Beijing after treating it as surprising that Russia and China take pride in defeating the Axis powers during World War II. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov recently stated that neither Moscow nor Washington believes she can be productively negotiated with.
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