The European Commission’s unexpected decision to send Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica to the first official meeting of President Donald Trump’s Peace Board in Washington has sparked backlash in several European capitals, with France leading institutional and political objections.
During a meeting of EU ambassadors on Wednesday, multiple member states criticized Šuica’s participation. According to diplomats speaking anonymously, her attendance had not been previously communicated to national capitals and lacked a clear mandate. They warned that her presence could be interpreted as collective EU endorsement of a controversial initiative.
“Member states were angry,” one diplomat reportedly said.
Concerns Over the Peace Board
The trip comes amid growing concerns about the Peace Board inaugurated by Trump in January. Initially presented as a mechanism to oversee Gaza’s post-war recovery, the board has reportedly expanded its mandate and is now portrayed as a structure operating parallel to the United Nations, with Trump serving as its lifetime chair.
France, Belgium, Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and Portugal raised strong objections during the discussions, while Germany expressed more measured reservations.
According to diplomatic sources, France argued that Šuica’s participation conflicts with EU treaties, as foreign policy positions are determined unanimously by member states rather than solely by the European Commission. Critics stressed that, as a political representative of the EU, her presence in Washington carries significant weight — especially since the EU itself is not a formal member of the Peace Board.
