Race to head EU defence agency kicks off with trio of hopefuls, including top-level ex-minister

Three names, including the high-profile former Dutch defence minister, have emerged as contenders in a race to determine the future direction of the European Defence Agency (EDA) at a time when its future role remains unclear.

Applications have started pouring in as EU member states look for a successor to current EDA head Jiří Šedivý.

According to several sources, candidates include the current number two to Šedivý André Denk, EDA's current capability, Armament and Planning Director Stefano Cont and the former defence and interior minister of the Netherlands, Kajsa Ollongren.

Šedivý, a former Czech minister who was previously a diplomat and a civil servant, is due to step down from his post at the EDA in the spring of 2025.

For five years he held one of the agency's top jobs, second only to the position of the EU's top diplomat - a position currently held by Josep Borrell and now going to former Estonian prime minister Kaja Kallas.

The selection process for Šedivý's successor will be led by the member states, who will ultimately decide who to pick.

Whoever gets the job will be expected to set the tone for the future of the agency which is now at a crossroads, where it is unclear what role it will have in the long-term Industrial Programme for Defence (EDIP), which aims to boost production capacity to meet wartime needs.

Over the past year, the EDA has gone through some turbulent times.

Although it had previously focused on research and development of projects, Russia's invasion of Ukraine prompted member states to replenish stockpiles, and the EDA was for the first time given the task of carrying out joint procurement of air defence and ammunition, as initially intended in the EU treaties. Only a few member states made use of it - including Ollongren's Netherlands.

Different backgrounds and profiles

All three candidates have different backgrounds and experience, but Ollongren has the highest profile.

She is an experienced bureaucrat, diplomat and politician. In addition to serving as interior minister and later defence minister in the office of then-prime minister Mark Rutte, she also gained popularity for leading Dutch support for Ukraine, including in the F-16 coalition.

In addition, she also has economic experience, which is a clear plus in times of questions about budgetary issues

As for Denk and Cont, both are military men, a General and a Major General respectively.

While Denk has more of an operational and logistical background, Cont, who is in charge of overseeing EDA's capability and technology development, has experience in that area and as a diplomat in the United States.

If either man gets the job, it will be the first time the agency will be headed by a person with a military background.

Previous profiles competing for the EDA's top job were more like Ollongren's: a diplomat, politician or bureaucrat with experience in defence directorates or structures.

[Edited by Daniel Eck]