EU Commission Faces Backlash Over Participation in Trump's Peace Committee

Dubravka Šuica, the EU Commissioner for the Mediterranean, is under scrutiny after participating in Donald Trump's peace talks without explicit EU backing, drawing criticism from several EU governments and officials. Šuica is set to meet with EU foreign ministers following diplomatic tensions over the European Commission's involvement in the sensitive geopolitical initiative, which many member states viewed as unauthorized interference. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot openly condemned the Commission’s unilateral participation, asserting that it should never have engaged without a formal mandate.

The Commission clarified that its attendance at the committee's founding meeting in Washington, where fourteen EU countries joined, including Bulgaria and Hungary as full members, does not amount to the EU being a committee member. Twelve other EU countries attended as observers. Despite this, EU diplomatic sources disclosed legal concerns about the peace committee set up by Trump’s office. Šuica is also expected to participate in talks with Nickolay Mladenov, Director-General of the Committee for Peace in Gaza.

This controversy occurs amid wider European discussions on security and geopolitical autonomy. Recent remarks by German politician Friedrich Merz highlight a shift in views towards the relationship between European democracies and the U.S., emphasizing partnership rather than vassalage. Merz’s comments, reflecting sentiments shared by other European leaders, respond to past U.S. pressures, like Trump's demand that Denmark cede Greenland.

The criticism encapsulates broader concerns about Europe's reliance on U.S. security guarantees, long criticized due to inadequate defense budgets and reluctance to pursue greater autonomy — a vision notably promoted by French President Emmanuel Macron since 2017. The current developments underscore tensions within the EU on managing foreign policy and security roles amid evolving international dynamics.

Šuica’s upcoming meeting with EU foreign ministers and continued diplomatic debate signal ongoing challenges for the Commission and member states in balancing collective EU stances with individual national interests in global peace efforts.