Von der Leyen vs. Cuesta: The deep division in the EU over the Iran war worsens

Brussels / MadridDonald Trump has blown up the rules-based world order And the European Union is reacting in a divided way. Some leaders have accepted it as the new reality and advocate adapting, but others are standing up to the White House and upholding international law. The rift has become evident both between European institutions and between the individual member states, and it continues to widen.

After last week The differences between the German chancellor will be notedFriedrich Merz, and the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, or the French President, Emmanuel Macron, have all spoken about the US and Israeli attack on Iran; this week the discussion has shifted to EU leaders. On Monday, the President of the European Commission, the German conservative Ursula von der Leyen, suggested that the rules-based world order and multilateralism are on their last legs and, therefore, the EU has no choice but to adapt. Twenty-four hours later, the President of the European Council, the Portuguese social democrat António Costa, came out vehemently in defense of international law and He has claimed the European club as one of the main guarantors.

The former Prime Minister of Portugal, who usually opts for a moderate and consensus-building tone, has been emphatic. "We must defend the rules-based international order. We must defend the principles enshrined in the UN Charter, as set out in our treaties. Violations of international law must not be accepted," Costa said.

Furthermore, the President of the European Council directly targeted the White House, asserting that international law must be respected always and everywhere. That is to say, in Ukraine, but also in Greenland, Latin America, Gaza, or the Middle East. A direct jab at Trump that he had not dared to launch until now and which is completely at odds with the position of Von der Leyen, who has consistently endorsed the US and Israeli offensive against the Ayatollahs' regime.

The Spanish government aligns itself with Costa

But Costa is not alone. The Spanish government, which has always shown exceptional harmony with the Portuguese, "identifies" with his words. In fact, Pedro Sánchez's administration has always championed the need to respect the rules-based international order. "The alternative to international order is disorder [...] Either law or force; either peace and peaceful relations or the use of war; either progress or historical regression," Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares reflected at a press conference this Tuesday, after the cabinet meeting. If we don't commit to law, the minister reflected, "we are headed for chaos." "The law protects us all," he reiterated.

In contrast, the President of the European Commission advocated on Monday for a change in doctrine within the European Union regarding foreign policy and asserted that it "can no longer rely solely" on a rules-based world order "as the only way to defend its interests." The German leader championed asserting its presence on the world stage, especially through greater military power, and suggested that the international law that has governed the world since the end of World War II is now practically worthless. "The first thing is that Europe can no longer be the custodian of the old world order, of a world that is gone and will not return," Von der Leyen declared.

Von der Leyen's overreach

Beyond her stance, which is not the consensus among member states, Von der Leyen has also faced criticism in recent days for overstepping her bounds and attempting to seize control of EU foreign policy. This is a function that does not belong to her and falls to the national governments, represented by the President of the European Council and the EU's High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Kaja Kallas. This is not the first time Von der Leyen has tried to usurp the functions of other EU leaders, stirring up controversy in the process. One of the most contentious instances was her trip to Tel Aviv shortly after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, the very day Israel resumed its offensive against the Palestinian people. Furthermore, the President of the European Commission failed to remind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would comply with international humanitarian law, despite this being the consensus position of the EU member states. A situation similar to what is happening these days.

In fact, although the head of the European Commission currently has a good relationship with Costa, she already ended things badly—and largely for this reason, as with Kallas—with former European Council President Charles Michel and former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Both have strongly criticized the German conservative for wanting to take on more functions than she should and for positioning herself as the face of the European Union on the international stage, even though that is not her role.