TOWARD A EUROPEAN FOREIGN POLICY: THE EUROPEAN EXTERNAL ACTION SERVICE.

• Author: Vimont, Pierre

Pierre Vimont is a senior fellow at Carnegie Europe, was French ambassador to the U.S. and later the European Union, and served from 2010 to 2015 as the first exectuive secretary-general of the European External Action Service (EEAS), the diplomatic arm of the European Union. Now a Visiting Professor at Columbia SIPA, his research focuses on the European Union, the practice of diplomacy, and European foreign policy both among member states and across the Atlantic. Professor Vimont spoke to the Journal about the early days of the EEAS, contrasting reaction to Russian aggression in 2014 versus in 2022, and the surprising adaptability of Europe's institutions under pressure.

Journal of International Affairs (JIA): You were the first in your position as the executive secretaiy-general of the EEAS. WJiat were some of the challenges of heading up a brand new post? And maybe if you could speak to some of what you believe are your accomplishments from those first few years?

Pierre Vimont (PV): I wouldn't dare talk about accomplishment because this is an ongoing progress. But yes, we had more or less to do everything. I think Cathy Ashton used to say that we launched the external actions service as a plane starting to fly while we still had to screw the wheels, close the doors and set the seats. It was fascinating because we had to set up this first diplomatic service for the European Union at the same time as events were erupting, and tension was arising in many different places. Don't forget that the first year of the External Action Service was the year of the Arab Spring; we had political and social movements in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen, all countries that are the natural southern neighbors of the European Union. So it was a lot of work for all of us. At the same time, we had to recruit the whole new staff of the External Action Service, draft its internal regulations, find the right kind of working relations we wanted to develop with the EU Commission, the Council of Ministers, and each one of the member states' own diplomatic services. So yes, it was a difficult task. But we all knew that in advance and we had accepted the challenge. At the same time, it is a unique experience of starting something new and trying to give birth to a brand new organization out of scratches. In all truth, it can only be an ongoing process. And we still need, I think, a few more years before we can call it a day for the External Action Services.

JIA: As a follow up, what were you thinking going into that process? Were there clear expectations around the goals or the desires of the EEAS? Was there this belief that there needs to be a stronger diplomatic presence...