The Spanish official, who has worked at the EEAS since 2010, took over as secretary-general in February last year. He succeeded in Italy Stefano Sannino, who is being investigated for alleged misuse of EU funds.
Two officials said Carbonell is slated to take a position in Latin America. Carbonell’s husband, Raúl Fuentes Milani, is the EU ambassador to the Dominican Republic.
In October last year, the team of the EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, created a new senior position in the service which led to some of Carbonell’s key roles being moved. to the deputyincluding representing the EEAS in meetings with governments and embassies.
Martin Selmayr, who was former European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s chief of staff, has been tipped to take over the influential new post. However, opposition from the top of the European Commission he drowned his request. Instead, Kallas appointed a fellow Estonian, Matti Maasikas, to oversee diplomatic relations, in an arrangement one official described as “temporary.”
One of the diplomats said Carbonell had to walk a tightrope between competing interests in the EEAS and the European Commission. “He is doing everything he can,” the diplomat said.
A European official, meanwhile, said of Carbonell’s departure that “it’s not clear if he’s leaving because he wants to but I don’t think he’s been treated well.”
Asked to confirm the move, an EU official speaking on behalf of the EEAS said: “Belén is the secretary general of the EEAS, who is currently on a mission with HRVP (Kallas) in Armenia for the (European Political Community) and EU-Armenia summit.”
A spokeswoman for the European Commission declined to comment further, and Carbonell did not respond to a request for comment.
