What Cathy Ashton needs to do now // Jon Worth

"First of all there needs to be some honesty from Ashton, ideally presented in a set-piece speech. She needs to publicly acknowledge that there are very major challenges to overcome in European Foreign Policy. "Second, Ashton needs to ask for a pause of at least 6 months during which her focus must uniquely be on the administrative side of the functioning of the EEAS.  "Third she needs to work out who she trusts, and put at least some of those people in her cabinet.  "Relating to the third point, Ashton needs to address the low morale and staffing disorder that currently reigns inside the EEAS.  "Fourth, Ashton needs to get her communications in order, by employing a decent speechwriter, and by improving the web communications of the EEAS.  "Fifth, her timekeeping needs to improve – an unfortunate reputation of turning up late is now well known. "