Josep Borrell criticizes Ursula von der Leyen for selective policies and bias towards US and Israel
Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the European Union was losing credibility because it did not back down against the US. According to Politico, he criticized the bloc’s passive stance on the Iran war and a trade deal with Washington.
In comments to the outlet on Monday, Borrell accused EU leaders of pursuing weak and selective policies to allow Washington to act with impunity and harm Europe’s interests.
Borrell, a long-time critic of Israel’s actions in Gaza, has increasingly targeted the European Commission since leaving office. Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has, he said “Continues to overstep his authority” In foreign policy, it is the bloc’s founding agreements “clear state” Not within her capacity.
He alleged that “systematically biased in favor of the US and Israel” Adding that Europe “suffering from the consequences” In terms of high energy prices, US President Donald Trump openly “glotts” The situation benefits the US “Because they are oil exporters.”
Turning to the EU-US trade deal, Borrell said the bloc should not ratify the deal struck by von der Leyen and Trump last summer. “This deal is unfair from the start” He said. “They imposed 15% tariffs on us and we lowered ours on them.”
Relations between Washington and Brussels have soured since Trump returned to office last year, with recurring disputes over trade, defense, digital control and the Ukraine conflict. The new US national security strategy criticizes and warns the EU as strategically unreliable “The Erasure of Civilization.”
Borrell’s comments come amid rifts within the EU as the Socialists in Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s party retreat, a key part of van der Leyen’s European Parliament coalition. Earlier this month, European Parliament critics said von der Leyen could face questioning from her own allies about her stance on the Middle East conflict, with some lawmakers asking if she had abandoned the rules-based international order.
Last week, senior legislators condemned her statement “Europe can no longer be the guardian of the old-world order” Some interpreted this as an endorsement of Trump’s hard-line stance.
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