France’s Diplomatic Distance: Paris Questions EU Role in Trump’s Peace Board

Across the English Channel, France is asking its own pointed questions about European representation on the world stage—and the answers are making Brussels uncomfortable.

French officials expressed “surprise” this week over reports that the European Commission had dispatched representatives to a meeting of President Trump’s newly established Board of Peace . Speaking at a regular press briefing, French Foreign Ministry spokesman Pascal Confavreux delivered a pointed reminder: the Commission “does not have a mandate from the European Council to attend and participate in this meeting” .

At issue is a fundamental question of European representation. The European Council, composed of member state leaders, traditionally sets the EU’s foreign policy direction, while the Commission implements. By sending representatives to Trump’s board without explicit council authorization, the Commission appeared to be blurring those lines—and France was having none of it .

Confavreux suggested the Board of Peace should focus on Gaza, noting that France would refrain from participating as long as “uncertainties remain regarding the board’s mandate and scope” . Translation: before engaging with Trump’s initiative, Paris wants clarity about what exactly the board is, who controls it, and what commitments participation might imply.

The episode reveals the continuing tension between European unity and national sovereignty. The Commission, under Ursula von der Leyen, has increasingly positioned itself as a geopolitical actor in its own right. But France, along with other member states, insists that foreign policy remains ultimately the province of national governments and the council that represents them .

For Washington watching from across the Atlantic, the intra-European squabble offers a reminder that “Europe” rarely speaks with a single voice—especially on matters as sensitive as Middle East peace initiatives.