Kallas Suffers Fresh Defeat as EU Capitals Clash With Von der Leyen Over Foreign-Policy Control

High Representative Kaja Kallas's institutional standing weakened further after the European External Action Service scrapped, at the last minute, the launch of a planned high-level expert group on European defence following objections from member states — Italy objected to the inclusion of former Italian defence minister Roberta Pinotti, a political rival of the current minister, while France and others said the group had not been discussed at ministerial level. The setback lands amid a deepening rivalry between Kallas and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen over control of EU foreign policy, with von der Leyen pursuing what she calls a 'geopolitical Commission' and Israel policy emerging as a recurring flashpoint. It also comes as France and Germany push a proposal to place the EEAS under the Commission's authority; Kallas pushed back, warning that 'if we then move everything to the Commission, then especially the small member states lose control,' and said capitals were clear they don't want to lose 'the steering wheel' on foreign policy even as they agree implementation could improve.