Talking about the EU’s Common Foreign Policy (CFP) in a way that is forward-looking is no easy task these days. But Nathalie Tocci, special advisor to Federica Mogherini, the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, managed just that.

She presented the new global strategy of the EU to an interested, if slightly ageing audience at the Maison de l’union européenne on Friday 3 February. Tocci acknowledged that many people think foreign policy is far removed and doesn’t really concern them. However, she argued that local level politics often deals with the symptoms of foreign policy issues, such as migration or employment. But the origins, the causes are actually related to foreign policy, said Tocci.

The special advisor had a few key messages, saying that, “We live in a very insecure world…we need to do more together on security…our member states on their own are too small to act alone.”

The slow but structural disalignment of the USA meant that the EU had to look after its own security needs. The most important aspect, according to Tocci, is the security and defence of the union. She said that European armies need to cooperate more, and explained that there are now serious conversations about setting up a European operational HQ and that enhanced cooperation could finally happen in security matters soon.

Tocci’s second message was that the EU needs a real foreign policy, and should not use the tool of enlargement and neighbourhood policy to replace a proper foreign policy.

The concept of resilience was also a strong message: the EU and its member states need to be able to adapt to shocks. Tocci said she was in favour of abandoning a certain eurocentrism (in terms of exporting rules and regulations) as that doesn’t work for everyone. The EU development aid has the biggest budget in the world, however it is not visible at all. Tocci insisted that development aid needs to become much more visible and bound into the CFP. The CFP’s goal is to address the root causes of conflict and poverty, and to promote human rights.

She said that the rising power of China and other nations had seen the world order enter a transition phase, which was a make or break situation for the EU. The economic decline of the EU, along with other factors, also entails a reordering of the world powers, and new global institutions will be set up, such as the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank), while others will decrease in importance.

The EU needs to be open and adaptable to change. While EU trade is strong in principle on its own, diplomats have realised that trade alone is not as attractive as when combined with visa liberalization, for example. She also argued that the Trump administration had already done the EU a few favours: EU trade negotiations were progressing at a much quicker pace with Mexico and Japan than before his election.

Tocci concluded that foreign policy alone will not save the EU, but solving the migration crisis, security issues related to terrorism and the Eurocrisis would save it. And precisely because all these issues are related to foreign policy, it should not be ignored.

The Maison de l’union européenne regularly organises “dialogues citoyens” events. Some events are in both English and French. Find out more here.