HE has ruffled feathers from Catalonia, to Russia and the US and other places in between, yet the European Council has formally nominated Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell as the bloc’s foreign policy chief.
The position of High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy is currently held by Italian Federica Mogherini, who has been in post since 2014.
If confirmed by the European Parliament and the rest of the new European Commission, Borrell, 72, is expected to start his five-year term in November.
Described as “Europe’s undiplomatic envoy” by Politico, Borrell caused outrage when he said Americans had only “killed four Indians” before achieving independence – for which he later apologised.
He was also critical of Washington’s “cowboy diplomacy” over Venezuela and triggered a spat between Madrid and Moscow when he described Russia as “our old enemy”.
Borrell was last year fined €30,000 (£30,500) for insider trading and has been described by human rights lawyer Ben Emmerson as the EU’s “own Donald Trump”.
Emmerson has campaigned on social media to stop his appointment and has been joined by Foreign Friends of Catalonia, who have started a petition to halt it.
Meanwhile, as acting Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez seeks ways to ensure he can remain in post without an overall majority of MPs, the Chambers of Commerce of Catalonia have said it is essential for him to form a government.
In a statement, they said forming an administration was “essential to clearly define the political and economic challenges that are posed”.
However, the group also warned that the support of Catalan parties, “will have to involve a renewed dialogue between the Government of the state and the Generalitat focused on solving the current political conflict”.
The verdicts of the independence trial are also playing on the minds of business people as, they say, forming a provisional government “could result in a great political instability that would affect the economy in a very negative way”.
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