The EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaia Kallas is in conflict with the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and has lost the fight for power in the EU apparatus, writes the German newspaper Die Welt.
According to the publication, Kallas has tried to consolidate her power by nominating Martin Selmayr, the former chief of staff of the President of the European Commission, as her closest advisor. However, she did not foresee that this would upset von der Leyen, as Selmayr, known as one of the most influential former officials in Brussels, is considered a fierce critic of the European Commission President and one of her most dangerous political opponents.
“Kallas has clearly underestimated the reaction that this personnel proposal would provoke in many EU capitals and the horror in von der Leyen“, the article emphasizes.
As a result, no major EU member state seems to be on Kallas' side in her dispute with von der Leyen, the publication concludes.
Earlier, the media reported that European officials are actively discussing the possibility of bringing back the former chief of staff of the European Commission President Martin Selmayr, who could take a senior position in EU foreign policy. This would provoke an escalation of the power struggle between the European Commission and the EU's foreign policy wing and would worsen the already fragile personal relationship between Kallas and von der Leyen. Martin Selmayr was chief of staff to European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker from 2014 to 2018.