Von der Leyen Bets on Central Europe

The new European Commission is expected to begin its work as early as December. Within its ranks, key roles in the budget, security, defense, and foreign policy of the Union are being played by politicians from countries on the eastern flank of the European Union and NATO. In Brussels, there is talk of the „easternization of the EU.” This is also part of the political plan of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen herself.

When, in mid-October, during an EU summit, Donald Tusk convinced the other 26 leaders to adopt Poland’s migration strategy—previously criticized, among others, by the European Commission itself—it marked a breakthrough. “This is the easternization of the EU. The West has lost its monopoly on infallibility, so we, the East, are presenting our proposals. What’s more, we are being heard,” a senior official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Interia at the time.

The easternization of the EU, as described by the interlocutor, was to be most evident in the composition and division of responsibilities within the new European Commission. “We are witnessing the decline of the Franco-German tandem in the EU. The world has changed so much that this duo is no longer sufficient,” the ministry representative continued. In his view, “the war in Ukraine has demonstrated the need to shift the center of gravity—the East is no longer just adapting to decisions made in the West but is now co-deciding and sharing responsibility.”

This co-decision-making and equal sharing of responsibility for the course the EU will take are visible in the shaping of the new Commission. “There is a demand in the EU for an East that is confident, that does not harbor resentment toward the West but works together with it to tackle the greatest challenges and, when necessary, takes the initiative and leadership.”