Borrell to Visit Caribbean and Central America

EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Josep Borrell will meet with representatives of the Caribbean Community and Central American Integration System today.

The meeting is the latest example of the EU’s development into a strategically autonomous geopolitical actor as the bloc seeks to form independent bilateral ties. While 2020 rankings show that the EU’s nominal GDP makes it the world’s second largest economy, security dependence on the United States and disunity within the bloc hinder its ability to behave as a single actor.

However, the security situation in the EU changed significantly due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Several EU member states including Germany and Denmark committed to increase their military spending, with Denmark holding a referendum in June to end its opt-out from European defense cooperation. Further, EU states are largely united in a common response via sanctions against Russia and its military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine—the first time that the bloc delivered such assistance as a singular entity. While other foreign policy issues such as relations with China continue to divide EU member states, expect it to further institutionalize its foreign policy mechanisms, potentially leading to an EU that is increasingly independent of the US.