Catherine Ashton, High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy
(United Kingdom, Socialist)

Background

Before becoming the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Baroness Catherine Ashton was the European Commissioner for Trade, where she replaced Peter Mandelson.  She has also held several positions in the UK government, including Leader of the House of Lords, and has also held ministerial portfolios in the UK Department of Education and Skills, the Department of Constitutional Affairs and the Ministry of Justice.

 

Stated objectives on taking office

• To coordinate the European Foreign Policy response to global challenges and issues;
• To ensure that the European Parliament has full scrutiny over the European diplomatic service;
• To work with the US to ensure a coordinated policy towards Afghanistan, the Middle East and Iran, which are at the top of the list of priorities;
• To ensure a strong relationship with Russia, especially to deal with energy issues.

Members of the Cabinet

James MORRISON , Head of Cabinet
Helene HOLM-PEDERSEN, Deputy Head of Cabinet
Renate NIKOLA, Expert attached to the Office
Pelayo CASTRO ZUZUARREGUI, Expert attached to the Office

 

Main actions to date

• Highlighting the importance of the region, Ashton very early on visited three countries in the Balkans – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Kosovo;
• Travelling to the Middle East including visiting Gaza – which was described as the most high-profile visit since Hamas took power;
• Visiting Haiti after the devastating earthquake;
• Conducting fact-finding missions and meeting and greeting some of the key international players she will be working with on a daily basis;
• Continuing to negotiate the establishment of the European External Action Service.

What to expect

The most notable aspect of HR Ashton’s first 100 days in office is the amount of criticism she has sustained.  Widely reported as a ‘light-weight’ figure when she was originally nominated, she has not managed to put a stop to the constant sniping coming from all corners of Europe – and even further afield from the US.  The job she has been given is unprecedented and the task of setting up an entirely new bureaucracy – the so-called European External Action Service – has proven to be a bigger job than many expected (see article on EU Foreign Policy – “Tackling Kissinger’s Conundrum”).  She has now submitted detailed plans on how the service will be constructed and how the Member States react will be the litmus test of her success at this job:  if rejected her already weak credibility might slide further; if a success, it could be the foundations of an increasingly assertive new voice in the EU.  Currently, she is in negotiations with the European Parliament on the precise make-up of the service and plans to submit the main proposal to the EU Member States on June 17th.  To add to her problems she has been criticized for not being able to speak French – which led to her accepting an invitation by the French Minister of Europe for an intensive one-week language course in the south of France.  Not long afterwards, she faced another language issue with the German Foreign Minister who requested that the new European diplomatic corps speak German in addition to both English and French. The High Representative refused this request.