Bildt demands reality-check for institutions to boost CFSP

Date: 04/07/02

By Dennis Abbott

THE European Union's conduct of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is being hampered by its own 'inward-looking' institutions and a lack of strong leadership, according to Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister.

Speaking in Paris at the inaugural meeting of the EU Institute for Security Studies, Bildt said the institutions needed to be 'dragged into reality' to address 'deficiencies in the software' of foreign policy.

The former premier was doubtful whether a constitution drawn up by the European Convention could improve decision-making. 'Constitutions don't necessarily produce more than meetings,' he said.

His concerns about inward-looking institutions were echoed by Jacques Delors, the former European Commission president, who referred to the 'discreet battle' between the executive and secretary-general of the Council of Ministers.

Bronislaw Geremek, Poland's former foreign minister, agreed CFSP suffered from 'tensions' between the institutions, adding that the division of labour between High Representative Javier Solana and External Relations Commissioner Chris Patten was unclear.

Elmar Brok, chairman of the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee, called for enhanced cooperation in defence policy and said he favoured merging the posts held by Solana and Patten. But both Brok and Delors were against the creation of an EU 'super president'. 'Let us not go faster than the music,' said the Frenchman.

Solana said he hoped the European Convention would 'seriously address' the issue of the EU's rotating presidency. 'How can we possibly talk about Macedonia, Serbia and the Middle East if things change every six months? We have to think about it,' he warned.

The European Union's conduct of Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is being hampered by its own 'inward-looking' institutions and a lack of strong leadership, according to Carl Bildt, the former Swedish prime minister.