Juhansone, a former Latvian ambassador, who’s presently the highest EU official on the Fee, is a detailed ally of Fee President Ursula von der Leyen and her chief of employees Bjoern Seibert.
Ought to Juhansone clinch the highest job on the EEAS it may very well be seen as an influence seize by von der Leyen, who has a extremely centralized, top-down administration type as Fee boss. However it might additionally imply that with Kallas, a second particular person from a Baltic nation would play a key function in international coverage, a prospect that doesn’t sit nicely with some governments.
Tense relations
Kallas’ place, formally referred to as EU excessive consultant, is notoriously difficult. Though one of many bloc’s 27 commissioners, the EU international coverage chief sits institutionally someplace between the Fee and the Council ― which represents the member international locations ― and is chargeable for the two,500-plus employees working in EEAS headquarters in addition to round 2,800 staff working at delegations internationally.
Kallas is the youngest — and most senior — determine to occupy the place. The 47-year-old was prime minister of Estonia between 2021 and 2024.
Tensions between the Fee and the EEAS have already surfaced, simply days into the five-year mandate of the brand new Fee.
The Fee is pushing plans to dramatically lower the variety of individuals working at lots of its embassies to beef up staffing in international locations the place it feels the bloc has a strategic curiosity, POLITICO reported final week. The employees discount initiative come because the EEAS blew previous its funds for 2024.