Henry Kissinger has been interviewed by Spiegel and – among other things – he gives a rather cryptic answer to the “Who do I call” question:
SPIEGEL: Thirty years ago, you asked for one phone number that could be used to call Europe.
Kissinger: … and it happened. The problem now is: Nation-states have not just given up part of their sovereignty to the European Union but also part of their vision for their own future. Their future is now tied to the European Union, and the EU has not yet achieved a vision and loyalty comparable to the nation-state. So, there is a vacuum between Europe’s past and Europe’s future.
I assume Kissinger means that the EU now has its act together on foreign policy? I would like to know whether Kissinger would have any clue about which institution actually does what – the question that is essentially th subject of this website. The second part of Kissinger’s answer is also interesting – as Member States have committed their future to the EU, the EU has at the same time failed to inspire loyalty. Maybe a strong, accountable President might help a bit?
Kissinger would in these days call Mr Solana’s mobile phone I suppose (whatever position Mr. Solana holds, it seems he is the one in charge of answering the phone).
However he would not get a straight answer as there is no such thing as an EU foreign policy as unanimity is stil required inthis field. Depending on the issue the Union will have a position, or not at all…
As long as this is not changed, the presidency issue is not relevant here.