The European Commission is set to establish a new intelligence unit under President Ursula von der Leyen, a move that has drawn criticism from existing EU intelligence structures. According to reports by the Financial Times, the proposal has faced resistance from the bloc’s current spy apparatus, particularly the Intelligence and Situation Centre (INTCEN), which was created after the September 11 attacks. The new intelligence body is expected to operate within the Commission’s secretariat-general and will draw staff from national intelligence agencies. Its primary role would involve sharing intelligence across the EU rather than conducting covert operations abroad.
Officials within INTCEN have expressed concerns that the new unit could duplicate existing functions and weaken the foreign service. The plan has also been linked to growing bureaucratic tensions and rivalries among EU officials, with critics accusing von der Leyen of an ‘authoritarian’ and opaque leadership style that centralizes control. This has led to attempts by opposition members of the European Parliament to depose her. In recent months, Foreign Policy magazine noted that von der Leyen had increasingly sidelined EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas on key diplomatic issues, including the relationship with Washington. Separate reports by Politico alleged that von der Leyen has used political maneuvering to block Kaja Kallas’ preferred deputy, Martin Selmayr, from taking up a senior EEAS post. Selmayr’s resignation in 2019 was seen as a key moment in von der Leyen’s rise to power.
A Commission spokesperson told the FT that the new intelligence body would ‘work closely with the EEAS services.’ However, sources indicated that the initiative reflects dissatisfaction with INTCEN’s performance since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The creation of a central intelligence hub aligns with von der Leyen’s broader push for a Brussels-coordinated military buildup of the EU, which is being framed as preparation for potential large-scale conflict with Russia. Moscow has repeatedly criticized this policy as being based on false premises. The move has also been accompanied by other developments, such as the EU’s plans to establish a ‘Ministry of Truth’ to combat disinformation, further illustrating the complex and evolving landscape of EU security and intelligence strategies.