European Council President Charles Michel has urged the European Union to move beyond merely “giving lip service” to the international community and to exhibit greater respect for its global partners.
He emphasized the necessity for the EU to combat the rising influence of Russia and China by fostering more meaningful and constructive relationships with other nations.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Michel acknowledged a prevailing attitude within the EU that tends to be dogmatic about its own perspectives on global issues.
He noted that the bloc often struggles to understand or appreciate why other countries may hold different views. “We’re not always good at communicating, explaining, talking to them, and giving them a certain respect,” Michel remarked, particularly in the context of dealings with developing nations that the EU has established strategic, commercial, or political ties with.
He criticized the EU’s current approach to enforcing its standards and regulations on trading partners, suggesting that the language used can come across as condescending Michel pointed out that terms like “yellow card” or “red card” imply a rather patronizing dual role of the EU as both a player and referee in international relations. He stressed that such terminology can be humiliating to partner nations.
Michel’s comments come at a time when various global leaders, including those from Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Türkiye—an EU candidate country and NATO member—gathered in Kazan, Russia, for the 16th BRICS summit.
His observation that these leaders chose to attend the summit indicates their desire to convey a message of diversification in global alliances, signaling a shift in geopolitical dynamics.
“The European Union must find a new approach to attract countries that want to diversify their economic and security alliances,” Michel warned. He further quoted a Gulf emir who stated, “If there is a vacuum, someone will fill it very quickly,” underscoring the urgent need for the EU to reassess its strategies to maintain relevance and influence on the global stage.
