Kaya Kallas.. a “firm” Estonian who takes charge of the European Union’s foreign policy

Just five months after becoming Prime Minister of Estonia, in January 2021, Kaia Kallas entered the headquarters of the European Council to challenge Europe’s most powerful leader.

While media headlines warned of the buildup of Russian forces on the Ukraine border, then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel wanted to invite Russian President Vladimir Putin to an upcoming summit of European Union leaders in Brussels.

The idea was supported by French President Emmanuel Macron, and Merkel intended to push the proposal during a European Council meeting in Brussels, but Callas did not accept that.

“Summit about what?” Callas asked European Union leaders, according to diplomats.

She stressed that Putin cannot be trusted, and should not be accepted or appeased. “What is the purpose of that?” Callas, who can count on the support of many other Eastern European countries, reiterated.

Ultimately, Merkel, who could not implement her plan without at least the approval of her fellow leaders, backed down.

When the German Chancellor left the room, Macron was in disbelief that a new leader from a small EU country had dared to humiliate Merkel, who at that time was the main force in the Union.

According to one diplomat, the French president turned to Callas, hinted that she might face a backlash, and asked her: “Are you still going to be prime minister tomorrow?”

Three years later, Merkel was forced to make way, while Callas got a promotion. On December 1, Callas became the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, making her the bloc’s highest-ranking diplomat.

Nominated in June by her fellow EU leaders – including Macron – Callas will have a tough job ahead of her, as not only is she taking office during a period of historic geopolitical turmoil, but the job itself is one in which her predecessors struggled to make an impact.

Her position requires her to balance the interests of the EU’s 27 member states, each of which traditionally has veto power on matters of foreign affairs.

With a reputation as one of Europe’s fiercest hawks on Russia, Kallas will have to overcome the prevailing preconception that she will be a single-issue foreign policy president.

“If you asked Callas where Africa is, she might tell you it’s south of Russia,” a senior European diplomat said earlier this year. But this assertive Estonian politician has an important advantage: very low, low expectations.

The outgoing officeholder, José Borrell, is a Spanish socialist who spent most of his term at loggerheads with his boss, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Borrell will be remembered for his passion and missteps, including a press conference in Moscow where he stood silent while Russia’s foreign minister spewed propaganda and called the European Union an “unreliable partner.”

Senior aides to 10 current and former EU foreign ministers, who spoke anonymously to POLITICO, were optimistic about Kallas’ appointment, noting the impact she has made on the global stage as prime minister of Estonia, a country with a population of 1.4 million. It is located between Russia and the Baltic Sea.

Under Borrell, EU diplomats complained that the meetings of the 27 EU foreign ministers were long, rhetorical or pre-scripted.

Callas, according to a senior official, is expected to ask ministers to come to meetings with new ideas, encourage spontaneous conversation and focus on strategic issues. About “Politico”

. Senior European officials noted the impact Kalas had on the world stage as Prime Minister of Estonia.

. Kaya Kallas’ position requires her to balance the interests of the 27 EU member states.