The Factor of Political Leadership in the EU Foreign Policy Strategy

The author analyzes the concept of leaderisation, proposed by European scholars who borrowed it from theories of political communication. Initially, this theory was applied to the conditions of the new communication environment, further it was used to analyze the transformation of political leadership in the European Union along with the European Union’s claims for a role as a global actor. The author determines the influence of a new style of political leadership on the development of the EU foreign policy strategy in the context of the modern crisis. The article characterizes the leadership style and representation of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, in the foreign policy arena as the “President” of the EU, which, according to the author, creates in media space a reputation of her as a strong and decisive leader, but calls into question the role of the European Union as an independent global actor. An analysis is given of how the claims of leaders of supranational institutions are perceived by the heads of the EU member states. Leadership is manifested in the strengthening of the role of the European Commission and its President, in the focus on the formation of the European Union as a geopolitical actor and a “defense union”. However, according to the author, this does not mean a change in the quality of political leadership, because it is based on a dichotomous perception of the world as “Us” and “Them”, and is aimed at increasing confrontation with both external and internal opponents.