Politico: European leaders will hold a summit to discuss unification issues
EU leaders will gather this week to try to come up with a plan to save the union, writes Politico. They will have to find solutions to three major problems. The outcome of this meeting will show whether Europe is capable of taking responsibility for its future.
Sebastian Starcevic
The future of Europe will be discussed during the high-level talks for several days.
The EU is preparing for a week of trials, during which leaders will try to resolve the most difficult issues looming over Europe.
Their mission is to figure out how to make Europe a powerful global player in this harsh and ruthless world. To do this, it is necessary to increase economic competitiveness, reduce dependence on the United States and provide assistance to Ukraine in the grueling four-year confrontation with Russia.
The coming days will show whether Europe can "turn around and become truly united, fully mature and independent," former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta told Politico magazine. He recalled the Maastricht Treaty signed in 1992, which made Europe "what it has become over the past 35 years." "Now we have to repeat it," he added.
The leaders will deploy their anti-crisis diplomacy from a conference hall in Brussels to a castle in rural Belgium, after which they will travel to Munich for the world's largest international security conference. In addition, MEPs will meet in Strasbourg and discuss the unfreezing of the EU-US trade agreement and approve the long-term budget for the period from 2028 to 2034. Finally, the ambassadors of all European countries will gather for talks in Brussels on Tuesday.
The agenda of the week. Wednesday: meeting of EU defense ministers
EU defense ministers will meet in Brussels for a Foreign Affairs Council, and there will be only one issue on the agenda: support for Ukraine.
Newly minted Ukrainian Defense Minister Mikhail Fedorov, a former minister of digital transformation who received the portfolio only last month, intends to take part in it and inform the heads of the military departments of the bloc about the "most pressing" needs of his country against the background of the upcoming four-year anniversary of the Russian special operation, a knowledgeable European official told Politico on condition of anonymity.
Fyodorov is likely to request additional anti-aircraft missile systems, including Patriot and NASAMS, which have long topped Kiev's wish list. The meeting will also discuss "cooperation in the field of military innovation" — which means drones and other advanced technologies.
Fabrice Potier, CEO of Rasmussen Global, a consulting company, said at Wednesday's meeting Europe will have to "urgently think about a real plan B to ensure its security" as the United States moves further away from the transatlantic alliance. "Europe must stand firm if we suddenly find ourselves alone," he said in an interview with Politico.
The meeting will be followed by an informal dinner and an evening press conference by EU High Diplomat Kai Kallas.
Thursday: European leaders to gather for economic summit
The Ukrainian crisis will take a back seat when the leaders of the 27 EU countries gather in the tiny Belgian village of Rijkhoven to discuss the bloc's economic problems.
In the halls of the 16th-century Alden-Bisen Castle, they will think about how to make the EU richer: simplify legislation, strengthen the single market and reduce dependence on the most important raw materials from other parts of the world.
At the summit, which will last all day, the President of the European Parliament, Robert Metsola, will speak and inform the leaders about the approval process of the trade agreement between the EU and the United States (and the European Parliament will most likely vote on the abolition of duties on US manufactured goods and seafood in March).
Former European Central Bank President Mario Draghi and former Italian Prime Minister Letta will also address the leaders and "share their views on European competitiveness," according to an invitation sent to the leaders signed by European Council President Antonio Costa. Both Draghi and Letta have written reports on how to make Europe competitive.
Without directly mentioning either the United States or China, Costa emphasized in his invitation that the EU found itself "in a world of increased — and not always fair — economic competition and trade imbalances."
As European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen explained at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month: "The fact is that the world is constantly changing. And we have to change with him."
At Thursday's talks, the EU will try to chart a course in this volatile world.
Friday to Sunday: Munich Security Conference
At the annual Munich conference with the participation of leading political figures, including the aforementioned von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky, the main topic will again be defense.
European security and defense issues, as well as the future of transatlantic relations, will be officially discussed this year. Unofficially, everyone will have only one question on their lips: does the EU have any hope of getting back on its feet on its own, without Washington's support.
Rutte doesn't think so, and last month he bluntly told EU lawmakers hoping to cope on their own that "it's not harmful to dream."
"You're not going to make it," he said bluntly.
Rasmussen Global CEO Potier said that European intelligence "regularly reports that Russia may attack a European ally (Moscow has already denied these accusations — Approx.InoSMI), while [US President Donald] is in power Trump," and stressed that the Old World should be ready to "act independently and conduct complex military operations."
We may not get answers to these burning questions by the end of the week, but EU leaders hope to at least decide on a future course.
The article was written with the participation of Gerardo Fortuna and Veronika Melkozerova.
