A multi-level perspective is needed to understand the interaction between cross-cultural biases in the EU’s international relations, as they are often viewed as a rational ongoing project. Still, the practice shows that emotions play a role in shaping foreign relations outcomes in which emotions are addressed with cross-cultural biases. The interaction with non-European partners influences the EU image narrative. It is political, above all, and impacted by emotions, too. The representation of female leaders in politics is increasing, but the challenges of implementing equal opportunities remain. When different high-ranking politicians meet, there is cause for potential cross-cultural misunderstandings, ex., ‘sofa-gate’, where diplomatic faux pas ended with European officials throwing accusations of male chauvinism and gender-based violence. The analysis will start with the meeting of the three political leaders (Ursula von der Leyen—European Commission, Charles Michele—European Council, and Recep Tayyip Erdogan—Turkey). Ursula von der Leyen (Ursula VdL) did not have a chair, so the main question is whether it is because she is a woman, because of protocol issues, or because of cross-cultural biases. An essential part of the research discussion is her emotional replies to it as a leader questioning European identity and the place and role of women. The opinions will be collected from the European institution’s representatives, considering the influence of their multicultural backgrounds and the perception of Sofa-Gate (SG) as a diplomatic incident. Lastly, the research will tackle different EU mission statements on equal opportunity norms to map out emotional geopolitical influence through different “sofa-gate” narratives.