Von Der Leyen’s Foreign Policy Power Struggle and the Iran War with Mona Yacoubian

Why It Matters

A divided EU foreign‑policy response erodes its strategic credibility, jeopardising energy stability, migration management, and the transatlantic alliance’s ability to confront emerging security threats.

Key Takeaways

• EU member states display split reactions to US‑Israel Iran strike.
• Von der Leyen’s diplomatic outreach challenges traditional EU foreign‑policy hierarchy.
• Lack of unified EU stance hampers rapid response to Middle‑East crises.
• France and Germany push back against Commission President’s perceived overreach.
• Institutional rivalry between Commission and High Representative stalls coherent EU strategy.

Summary

The Europhile podcast dissected Europe’s fragmented reaction to the U.S.–Israel military strike on Iran, highlighting an emerging power tussle in Brussels between Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, member states, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas. The discussion traced how the sudden escalation caught European capitals off‑guard, prompting a spectrum of positions—from Spain’s refusal to host U.S. forces on legal grounds, to Germany’s Friedrich Merz openly supporting the operation, and the United Kingdom’s tentative shift from outright denial to limited defensive basing. Key insights revealed a systemic inability to forge a swift, common foreign‑policy line. While von der Leyen has begun contacting Gulf leaders and issuing statements on energy and migration risks, critics argue she is overstepping treaty‑defined roles that belong to the High Representative. Member states, especially France, accuse her of bypassing the EU’s traditional diplomatic machinery, exposing the chronic tension between the Commission’s growing executive reach and the intergovernmental nature of EU foreign policy. The episode cited concrete examples: Spain’s base denial, the UK’s Cyprus‑based naval deployments, and von der Leyen’s phone calls to Gulf ministers—actions that prompted French officials to invoke a “De Gaullist” backlash. Historical parallels were drawn to the 1960s when Charles de Gaulle resisted a perceived American‑style head‑of‑state status for EU leaders, underscoring the deep‑seated sensitivity to sovereignty within the bloc. The broader implication is clear: without a more agile, coordinated mechanism, the EU risks marginalisation in high‑stakes crises, weakening its leverage over energy security, migration flows, and transatlantic partnership. The internal bureaucratic fight between the Commission and the External Action Service signals a need for institutional reform if Europe is to project a credible, unified voice on the world stage.

Original Description

Max and Donatienne discuss the internal power struggle between Ursula von der Leyen and EU member states over who should speak for Europe on foreign policy. They then turn to a conversation with Mona Yacoubian, director and senior adviser of the Middle East Program at CSIS, to discuss the Iran war and Europe’s role in it.

(00:00) Intro

(01:05) Von der Leyen’s foreign policy power struggle 

(19:07) Mona Yacoubian 

Learn more:

Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/russian-roulette)  

Would Regime Change Solve the Iran Challenge? (https://www.csis.org/podcasts/state-play/would-regime-change-solve-iran-challenge)  

The Regional Reverberations of the U.S. and Israeli Strikes on Iran (https://www.csis.org/analysis/regional-reverberations-us-and-israeli-strikes-iran)