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EU globally irrelevant due to sloppy decision-making – ex-foreign policy chief

RT News · · 382 words · By Russia Today
open_in_new Read the original article: https://www.rt.com/news/640078-eu-not-very-relevant/

fact_checkFact-Check Results

7 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

info Single Source 3
check_circle Corroborated 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
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“the bloc’s former foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has argued [that] Sloppy decision-making and an inability to agree on key issues have rendered the EU effectively irrelevant on the global stage”
CORROBORATED
The claim is reported by two independent sources: RT World News and Europe Diplomatic, both attributing the statement to Josep Borrell.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Ohrid Agreement, officially known as Agreement on the path to normalization between Kosovo and Serbia is an agreement mediated by the European Union that aims to normalize diplomatic relations bet…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Ohrid_Agreement
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a European Union financing instrument set up in March 2021 under the leadership of HRVP Josep Borrell, which aims towards the delivery of military aid to partner c…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Peace_Facility
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Josep Borrell Fontelles (born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commissio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_Borrell
+ 3 more evidence sources
verified
“The former top diplomat made the remarks in an interview with Belgian broadcaster RTBF on Friday”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of search results for a film titled 'Josep' and general information on the Russian invasion of Ukraine; there is no mention of an interview with RTBF.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Russian invasion of Ukraine received widespread international condemnation, leading to new sanctions being imposed on Russia, which triggered a Russian financial crisis. Reactions among government…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_and_intergovernment…
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web search NEUTRAL — In February 1939, artist Josep Bartolí had to flee his native Spain, which fell under Franco's dictatorship after the Spanish Civil War. Like thousands of other Spanish refugees, he went to France, bu…
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_(film)
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web search NEUTRAL — Josep: Directed by Aurel. With Sergi López, Emmanuel Vottero, Xavier Serrano, David Marsais. A dying gendarme remembers his encounter with Catalan artist Josep Bartolí in a French concentration camp a…
https://m.imdb.com/title/tt10534996/
+ 1 more evidence source
verified
“European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen... has been in power since 2019”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
Multiple Wikipedia entries and the official European Commission website confirm that Ursula von der Leyen has served as President of the European Commission since 2019.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and physician who has served as President of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_von_der_Leyen
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The first von der Leyen Commission was the European Commission in office from 1 December 2019 to 30 November 2024. It consisted of one commissioner from each of the member states of the European Union…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_der_Leyen_Commission_I
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second von der Leyen Commission is the current European Commission, in office since 1 December 2024. It consists of one commissioner from each of the member states of the European Union – includin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_der_Leyen_Commission_II
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Ursula von der Leyen... has repeatedly urged the bloc to remove individual member states’ veto powers and move to qualified majority voting on foreign policy and defense issues”
CORROBORATED
Two separate web search results confirm that Ursula von der Leyen has proposed replacing unanimity/veto power with qualified majority voting (QMV) in foreign policy.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Ursula Gertrud von der Leyen (née Albrecht; born 8 October 1958) is a German politician and physician who has served as President of the European Commission since 2019. She served in the German federa…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ursula_von_der_Leyen
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The second von der Leyen Commission is the current European Commission, in office since 1 December 2024. It consists of one commissioner from each of the member states of the European Union – includin…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Von_der_Leyen_Commission_II
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Heiko Echter von der Leyen (born 2 June 1955) is a German physician. He was born into the von der Leyen family in Hanover. Von der Leyen is married to Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the Europe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heiko_von_der_Leyen
+ 3 more evidence sources
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“Borrell called for the creation of a new core group within the bloc to advance the EU’s positions on the global stage”
SINGLE SOURCE
While the evidence confirms Borrell's role and his general criticisms of the EU, there is no specific corroboration in the provided evidence for the proposal of a 'new core group' to advance positions.
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web search NEUTRAL — Josep Borrell Fontelles (born 24 April 1947) is a Spanish politician who served as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commissio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josep_Borrell
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web search NEUTRAL — Former EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.Sloppy decision-making and an inability to agree on key issues have rendered the EU effectively irrelevant on the global stage, the bloc’s former foreign p…
https://www.rt.com/news/640078-eu-not-very-relevant/
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web search NEUTRAL — Josep Borrell, the European Union's foreign policy chief, has proposed to formally suspend political dialogue with Israel over the country's alleged violations of human rights and international law in…
https://www.euronews.com/my-europe/2024/11/13/borrell-propos…
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“the idea to abandon the EU’s unanimity principle was backed by Berlin, with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul arguing that a switch to a qualified majority voting would “make the EU capable of acting in areas where it currently has to remain at a standstill.””
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of general information about the German language and does not mention Johann Wadephul or his views on EU voting principles.
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web search NEUTRAL — German is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Germanic group of the Germanic languages. The Germanic languages are traditionally subdivided into three branches: North Germanic, East Ger…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language
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web search NEUTRAL — Learn German for free and become fluent thanks to a complete course with vocabulary, grammar, and cultural historical insights. No prior German language knowledge required!
https://learndeutsch.org/
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web search NEUTRAL — May 7, 2026 · German language, official language of both Germany and Austria and one of the official languages of Switzerland. German belongs to the West Germanic group of the Indo-European language f…
https://www.britannica.com/topic/German-language
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“The initiative has already been backed by at least 12 EU member states, according to Wadephul.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The provided evidence for this claim consists of sports-related content regarding the Buffalo Bills and does not mention Johann Wadephul or EU member states.
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web search NEUTRAL — The Stadium Wall Buffalo Bills Community. Discussing the Buffalo Bills and the NFL 24 hours a day since 1998!
https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/forum/1-the-stadium-…
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web search NEUTRAL — Apr 25, 2026 · Figured it’s about that time. I’ll update as news starts rolling in. Edited by position, was by signing order previously: UDFA SIGNINGS Jackson Ackler, FB - Wisconsin Desmond Reid, RB -…
https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/topic/265296-2026-ud…
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web search NEUTRAL — Is Buffalo more a football or hockey city? 1 2 3 4 By Another Fan, April 6 71 replies 2.5k views BillsPride12 May 6
https://www.twobillsdrive.com/community/forum/48-off-the-wal…
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.