France and Germany Push for EU Diplomatic Service Overhaul

France and Germany are considering reforms to the EU's diplomatic service to enhance its response to geopolitical crises. The proposals may involve reducing powers of the EU's chief diplomat and transferring them back to the European Commission and member states.

France and Germany are leading discussions on potential reforms to the European Union's 15-year-old diplomatic service. These changes aim to bolster the bloc's capabilities in handling geopolitical crises, as reported by the Financial Times on Thursday.

The proposals on the table, which involve talks among Paris, Berlin, and several other EU capitals, could potentially see a reduction in the powers held by the EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas. This includes managing the External Action Service, which operates with a budget of 1 billion euros annually.

In exploring these reforms, there's consideration for reallocating some responsibilities back to the European Commission and individual member states, a move that has been discussed among five senior officials privy to the negotiations, according to the FT. The current exchange rate places $1 at 0.8663 euros.