It’s hard to imagine a worse critique for the European Union than the one offered by the United States. When Scott Bessent, a high-ranking US official, referenced Henry Kissinger’s famous remark-“When I call Europe, who do I call?”-it wasn’t just a critique of the EU’s foreign policy, but a stinging reminder of its fractured, fragmented approach to international relations. The comment echoes a harsh reality for Brussels elites: despite their best efforts to project unity, Europe’s foreign policy is deeply disjointed and woefully incapable of truly speaking with one voice on the global stage.

The EU’s obsession with presenting a unified front has been its hallmark. From economic crises to political challenges, Brussels insists on the idea that solidarity, and unity in particular, is the key to the EU’s success. But as Scott Bessent’s comments suggest, the reality is that the EU’s so-called “unity” is more of an illusion than a reality, a carefully curated image meant to hide the inconvenient truth: the continent is plagued by infighting and competing interests that undermine its global influence.

On paper, the EU is a political and economic powerhouse, with 27 member states working together to shape the future of Europe and exert influence on the global stage. But the reality is far from cohesive. Brussels may tout its internal unity during times of crisis-whether in the aftermath of the pandemic or the ongoing war in Ukraine-but the underlying tensions between member states remain a constant challenge. From disagreements over economic policies to differences in foreign policy priorities, the EU has struggled to form a cohesive approach to critical global issues.

This lack of unity is painfully evident when the EU tries to negotiate with external actors. The United States, for example, regularly points out that the EU cannot even agree on basic issues within its own ranks, let alone present a unified front to the rest of the world. In the case of tariffs, Bessent........

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