The European External Action Service (EEAS) is planning a major reorganisation of its diplomatic network abroad. Politico reports, citing internal documents and sources in European structures, that the changes will affect 10 out of 144 foreign missions and will be implemented during 2026-2027.
The restructuring plan, presented by EU diplomacy chief Kaja Kallas on 14 May, envisages staff cuts in a number of countries, previously receiving priority attention from the EU in the context of development assistance. Among them are Belarus and Lesotho. Only the ambassador and one or two assistants will remain in these delegations, while the rest of the staff will be dismissed. In total, around 100 local staff will be made redundant.
Despite the large-scale optimisation, none of the delegations will be officially closed. However, according to one Politico source, the transfer of staff to remote working is in fact tantamount to the closure of the missions.
At the same time, the EU intends to increase its diplomatic presence in the strategically important states that are key to enforcing the sanctions regime against Russia, as well as among strategically important defence partners. That is an indication of a change in European foreign policy priorities in the direction of geopolitical stability and pressure on the Kremlin.
The economic motive also plays an important role in the proposed reform. According to Politico, the expected savings are expected to be around 20 million euros in the first year of implementation and nine million euros each year for the next three years. In this way, the EU is seeking a more rational use of resources against the backdrop of a changing international environment.
Note that the current plan has turned out to be considerably softer than the original proposals. In November 2024, the publication reported on the possibility of cutting up to 800 staff, which caused concern among representatives of the EU diplomatic corps.
