European Union's Foreign Policy vane

Foreign ministers of the member states of the European Union (EU) have met frequently since early March, and the informal meetings of EU foreign ministers and of seven European nations have also been convened. So, a topic of vital importance for the foreign ministers' meetings is to define the positioning more accurately, to deal with various challenges more effectively and to further enhance EU's global status and roles.

Catherine Ashton, the incumbent High Representative of EU for Foreign and Security Policy, known as the EU Foreign Minister, has appeared dramatically with EU foreign ministers to confer with them on the EU's diplomatic strategy, mechanism and other issues. Ashton told the media, nevertheless, that the EU would avoid weakening its diplomatic influence and strive for a more consistent voice. She underscored that the EU should enhance its cooperation with the Balkans and the Middle East and surrounding areas and relations with such big powers as the U.S. and Russia. Her role, predicament and style reflect, to some extent, the characteristics of the EU's common diplomacy.

First of all is to integrate formally. "Baroness Ashton has been given an absolutely impossible task," as Alexander Graf Lamsdorft, a German member of the European Parliament put it. Indeed, the "Lisbon Treaty" filled with an increasing EU capability for external action is merely a general statement, while the EU foreign affairs decision-making power will rest with its member states as they all have a veto power each.

In addition, there is the overlap of tasks with an obscured division of work between the Council, Commission and the European Parliament on the one hand and Ashton's role and the Foreign Affairs Department, which is currently under way, on the other hand. In any case, at least formally, EU now already has a "unified voice" instrument, and that are Ashton herself and the "Foreign Department" to institutionalize worldwide in the years ahead. And Ashton has appointed the EU ambassador to the U.S. and other key diplomatic candidates and plans to submit the institutional draft of the "Foreign Affairs Department" by the end of April.

Second, there is an in-depth game of interest. Catherine Ashton, upon her election, has repeatedly underscored that she would represent the European interest, but in fact her policies would inevitably have a "British gene". Ashton's choice is precisely the outcome of several games played by Britain, France, Germany and other EU nations. After her inauguration, a number of EU member nations began to worry that the focus of the EU foreign policy will too tilt to Britain. Media also disclose that an internal German document had accused Ashton of going in for over-expanding British forces in the EU institutional building and especially for EU member states to vie with one another for picking EU diplomatic envoys to developing countries. This implies an intrinsic hallmark in the process of attaining a European integration -- to maintain a search of balance between a clash of interests and their unity.

Finally, the orientation or direction of EU nations has become a critical factor. At present, the EU needs more than ever before to have the "one voice" after having been hit by the tragic global financial crisis," so as to play an even more positive, vital role in the world affairs. In the meanwhile, it has been the focus of the EU diplomatic strategic formulation to explore, define or "position" its relationships with the United States, Russia and major emerging or developing countries.

Catherin Ashton has been referred to by her supporters as good at building allies with patience, which is definitely the style of politics in Brussels. "Cathy is good at building relationships, but the question if whether she would building enough gratis," noted one ally of Lord Mandelson.

With the "Lisbon Treaty" coming into force on December 1, 2009, the EU now has both the "President" and "Foreign Minister", so some people say this has helped resolve a well-known problem former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger had raised. In an attempt to find the Europe, said Dr. Kissinger previously, "Who do I speak to, what is his phone number." In the course of spurring Europe to speak with one voice, Catherine Ashton's mission is really no easy at all.

By People's Daily Online and contributed by PD reporter Yang Fang