Man without a mission
EU plans to appoint a Syria Envoy stir speculation

The European Commission’s plan to appoint a Syria Envoy has stirred speculation and potential misunderstandings. The proposal emerged in response to a July initiative led by Italy that called for reassessing the EU’s Syria strategy, higher-level diplomatic engagement with the Assad regime, expanded early recovery assistance, and sanctions relief — though without providing political risk analysis or detailing conditions. It soon became clear that the initiative would not alter European foreign policy significantly. Amid heightened domestic pressure over migration — which, concerningly, is being conflated with the issue of refugees — the move to appoint an envoy can be seen primarily as being motivated by internal PR.

The front runner for the role is Christian Berger, a seasoned Austrian diplomat with experience as MENA director at the European External Action Service (EEAS) and as head of EU delegations in Turkey and Egypt. Berger is regarded as a steadfast advocate of the EU’s principled stance on Syria. As a Commission appointee, Berger would liaise with Michael Ohnmacht, the EU’s Beirut-based Chargé d’Affaires, appointed by the EEAS. This would offer a chance for improved coordination between the Commission and the EEAS, and both Berger and Ohnmacht appear well-suited to this task. 

Better coordination of EU positions, particularly after the schism that was led by Italy, would certainly be welcome. Syria in Transition has meanwhile learned from diplomatic sources that the envoy won’t be based in Damascus. The appointment of an Envoy should therefore not be interpreted categorically as a step toward normalisation with the Assad regime. Its actual significance will become clear from the nature of any engagement with regime officials. This in turn will depend in part on broader political dynamics, including the question of how much the Europeans will be tempted to succumb to the Assad regime’s empty promises to curb migration and enable lawful refugee returns. Italy and likeminded EU members can be expected to push for the Envoy’s mandate to expand to minister level coordination with Damascus.

In the US, news of an EU envoy for Syria didn’t resonate well. Just 48 hours after Donald Trump’s election victory, Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, posted on X expressing his “deep disappointment.” He argued that the envoy’s appointment would be part of “creeping normalisation” with the Assad regime, a move he deemed both a “strategic error and a moral stain”, urging the EU to reconsider.

McCaul’s statement is a first sign that a Trump administration won’t disengage from Syria the way the US did under Biden. This could present an opportunity for the EU, whose goals in Syria depend on strong political pressure — which it continues to rely on the US to help exert. If such criticism persists, the EU might consider dropping the plan for a Special Envoy unless the position is clearly politically mandated to support a political solution in line with UNSCR 2254. The key question is whether friction with the incoming US administration over what is essentially a matter of domestic messaging is a risk worth taking. In any event, close consultations with Trump’s team will be essential to prevent misunderstandings and to allow aligned policies based on the many shared interests.