Federica Mogherini and Her First Year as HRVP

Policy brief by Tereza Novotná - summarizing and assessing the first year of Federica Mogherini as HRVP.

How was the Federica Mogherini's first year as the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy/Vice-President of the Commission (HRVP). Did she succeeded compared to her predecessor Catherine Ashton? Commentary with recommendations for the Czech foreign policy by our associate fellow Tereza Novotná, FNRS Postdoctoral Researcher, Université libre de Bruxelles.

• November marked the first year of Federica Mogherini’s tenure as HRVP. During this period, the European Union (EU) has been overwhelmed with a series of international emergencies, ranging from the conflict in Ukraine and tense relations with Russia up to the refugee crisis that has been primary caused by a deteriorating situation in countries such as Syria, Libya and Iraq. Despite Mogherini’s personal commitment to solving the crises, there is no sign of any viable solution on the horizon either in the East or the West of the EU’s borders. On the other hand, the High Representative has successfully accomplished what Catherine Ashton, her predecessor as HRVP, had already started, such as negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program and the stabilization of relations between Serbia and Kosovo.

• A year is not only a significant date from both a political and symbolic point of view, but it also represents an important milestone from which we can start judging the results of the institutional aspects of HRVP’s work, that is her ability to reshape the European diplomatic service (European External Action Service or EEAS). Moreover, we can examine relations between EEAS and other EU institutions and compare the steps that Mogherini took in this area with those of her predecessor.

This is a revised English-language version of the policy brief: Novotná Tereza, Federica Mogherini a její první rok ve funkci, Europeum Policy Brief, EUROPEUM, published 6 November 2015.

One of the recommendations, that the Czech diplomacy should push for the Czechs and women into the management posts in the EEAS, has been already met when Mogherini nominated Edita Hrdá among other managing directors.

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Tereza Novotná
Senior Associate Research Fellow

Expertise: EU foreign policy, North and South Korea and NE Asia; European External Action Service, EU Delegations; transatlantic relations and trade; EU enlargement and EU institutions; Germany (foreign and domestic politics, particularly in the Eastern parts of Germany).