European Union leadership: A crisis in identity

In 2024, elections for the European Parliament were accompanied by the nomination of a new College of Commissioners, and the appointments of Presidents of the European Commission, the European Parliament and the European Council and a new High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The outcomes of these processes indicate a more complex political environment for the European Union but also pointed to increasing instability with dramatic implications for particular Member States. This paper examines the implications of the 2024 European elections for the leadership and orientation of EU leaders and what this might mean in the emerging geopolitical landscape. Rather than being a mediator and advocate for peace, the EU has become an agent of international conflict that is apparently subordinate to US foreign policy.