Disputes and disagreements between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Charles Michel have a negative impact on the effectiveness of the European Union in resolving the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, as well as in trade dialogues with China. This was reported by Bloomberg.
Sources note that the disagreements and tensions between the two leaders "leave the union divided at a time when it needs to present a united front on a growing list of issues, from the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel to trade disputes with China." These differences were felt during the presidents' separate meetings with Joe Biden in the United States.
It should be noted that Michel was not invited to the major international summit organized by von der Leyen this week.
According to EU rules, the bloc's foreign policy is determined by member states. However, von der Leyen is seeking to increase the European Commission's influence on this process.
