Latest news with #EUSummit
Forbes
24-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Stressful Times For Europe's Leaders
STRASBOURG, FRANCE - JULY 18: Ursula von der Leyen reacts after being reelected as head of the ... More European Commission during the plenary session of the European Parliament on July 18, 2024 in Strasbourg, France. Members of the European Parliament had to decide today on a second term for Ursula von der Leyen as the head of the European Commission, a role she has held since December 1, 2019. She secured the backing of 401 MEPs in the 720-seat European Parliament. Additionally, the leadership positions for the European Parliament, European Council, and the EU's foreign affairs are also being decided. On Tuesday, the newly-elected EU Parliament began its first legislative term in France following the recent elections. (Photo by) Two events this Thursday will define the performance and vision of Europe's leadership. First, today Ursula von der Leyen and colleagues are in Beijing this week (24th – a second day in Hefei was cancelled) for a somewhat downgraded summit with China, ostensibly to mark the 50-year anniversary of diplomatic relations. Key personnel like trade commissioner Sefcovic will not attend, and expectations for any positive developments have been tempered. Europe is highly uncomfortable with China's support of Russia's military, its 'dumping' of excess industrial capacity in Europe (e.g chemicals) and the many barriers to entry it erects to overseas firms (opaque regulations and forced technology transfer). Policy documents being prepared by the EU External Relations directorate talk more of an engagement with China than a partnership, and worlds like 'rivalry' are increasingly deployed. More tellingly, the language in the new EU budget speaks of 'high-risk suppliers' (code for China) and the need to insulate supply chains against them. For its part, China's overtures in Europe have been unfortunate – cultivating extradition deals with 'black sheep' like Hungary, and failing to engage on key policy issues (i.e. electric vehicles) and of course its relationship with Russia. The outcome of the meeting and the geopolitical changes behind it may well be that China decides that Europe is no longer a priority in terms of engagement and turns its attention to other parts of Asia and Africa. Europe is already casting China in a more negative light. In general, European military leaders and industry chiefs are thought to be aligned with the EU's tougher stance on China, and in the absence of concessions from China, we expect that relations will continue to be 'correct', and somewhat frosty. A joint statement on climate has been agreed, apparently, but this might be the only take-away. Also on Thursday, having steadfastly cut rates over the course of the past year, the ECB, in our view will increasingly watch and wait, amidst signs that credit growth in the euro-zone is beginning to pick up. In addition, we expect that the chief pre-occupation of the Governing Council will be the strong euro, and we expect that policy members will increasingly try to chip away at the strength of the euro in their public addresses. With positioning data showing thedollar is now tactically oversold, the luck of the ECB might be in but it will require some dovish forward guidance. The actions of the ECB, in contrast to the Fed which faces stiffer inflation pressures, have helped to support the euro-zone economy. With tariffs biting many European firms, the next challenge is to see how they can curb euro-strength.
France 24
29-06-2025
- Politics
- France 24
Irish rap group Kneecap perform controversial Glastonbury set
01:39 29/06/2025 Tens of thousands defy Orban's ban to march in Budapest Pride Europe 28/06/2025 Climate change threatens France's historic castles Europe 28/06/2025 France mulls preventing small boat crossings to UK Europe 28/06/2025 Budapest Pride march gets underway despite Orban's ban Europe 28/06/2025 Europe swelters in summer's first heatwave as continent warms Europe 28/06/2025 Tens of thousands to attend Budapest Pride in defiance of Orban's ban in Hungary Europe 27/06/2025 EU leaders discuss new US trade proposal Europe 27/06/2025 EU Summit focuses on Ukraine amid divisions over Russia sanctions Europe 27/06/2025 European leaders push defense spend amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine Europe
France 24
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- France 24
Tens of thousands defy Orban's ban to march in Budapest Pride
01:46 29/06/2025 Irish rap group Kneecap perform controversial Glastonbury set Europe 28/06/2025 Climate change threatens France's historic castles Europe 28/06/2025 France mulls preventing small boat crossings to UK Europe 28/06/2025 Budapest Pride march gets underway despite Orban's ban Europe 28/06/2025 Europe swelters in summer's first heatwave as continent warms Europe 28/06/2025 Tens of thousands to attend Budapest Pride in defiance of Orban's ban in Hungary Europe 27/06/2025 EU leaders discuss new US trade proposal Europe 27/06/2025 EU Summit focuses on Ukraine amid divisions over Russia sanctions Europe 27/06/2025 European leaders push defense spend amid uncertainty over Trump aid to Ukraine Europe
Irish Times
27-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Thorny issues remain on EU leaders' table long after dinner plates are cleared
If you are not inside the room when the European Union's 27 leaders gather for a summit, there tends to be quite a bit of hanging around to be done. One question will always do the rounds among the waiting diplomats, officials and journalists: 'What time do you reckon they will wrap up?' The national leaders, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and former Portuguese prime minister António Costa, who is president of the European Council , got started just before noon on Thursday. The meeting of the council, which sets the big-picture policy direction of the EU, was pencilled in to last one day, though leaders were told to keep the early part of Friday free just in case things ran over. READ MORE The summit covered EU-US tariff negotiations , the wars in Gaza and Ukraine , proposed new sanctions on Russia , defence spending and migration policy. Details of what is going on in the leaders' room can be scant. There are a few short breaks where they leave to confer with advisers and diplomats. When the doors close, they will also keep officials updated with the odd WhatsApp message. Denmark's prime minister Mette Frederiksen speaks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis during a meeting at the European Council in Brussels on Thursday. Photograph: John Thys/AFP via Getty Images At about 8pm on Thursday word got around that things might wrap up in an hour or so, which would have been remarkably quick. The talk was that rather than stopping to eat, the leaders might power through with a view to getting out early. It wasn't to be. A dinner of smoked cottage cheese dumplings, duck leg confit and strawberry cheesecake was brought in and the discussions went on for several more hours. Leaders like the fact that Costa has been limiting the summits to a single day since he took over as chair last December. But sometimes a row actually needs to be had. The EU has been deferring contentious matters in an effort to keep a loose consensus intact. Taking decisions can be tough when each head of state or government has a veto. For instance, Hungary's far-right prime minister Viktor Orban has consistently blocked EU efforts to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia. He has also held up talks between Brussels and Kyiv about Ukraine joining the EU in the future. A showdown between Orban and the other leaders is overdue. Dutch prime minister Dick Schoof (L) and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban at the start of the EU leaders' Summit in Brussels on Thursday. Photograph: Olivier Hoslet/EPA The EU did take a leap forward on defence policy in the spring, which Costa and Von der Leyen can hold up as a win. A summit in March approved a plan to significantly increase military spending to deter the future threat from Russia, given the question mark over continued US defence support. The union can move quickly when it wants to and a crisis does focus minds. The discussion on Gaza on Thursday was short. There was a sense that entrenched positions would not be moved. Germany, Austria, Italy and Hungary oppose efforts by Ireland, Spain and others to sanction Israel, so the EU remains stuck. [ Pro-Israel countries to block Irish efforts to sanction Israel at EU summit Opens in new window ] European Council president António Costa: leaders like the fact that Costa has been limiting the summits to a single day since he took over as chair last December. Photograph:Other internal reforms have been talked about for years without movement. Proposals to build up a European capital market have gone nowhere because countries don't want to change their national rules around issues such as insolvency. Those close to Costa say he will have no problem presiding over crunch summits that run on. The Portuguese politician likes open-ended strategic discussions, rather than having leaders squabbling over the wording of a joint communique issued after each summit. Leaders spent a record five days and four nights hammering out an agreement on the Nice Treaty reforms in 2000. There is no need to hole up Taoiseach Micheál Martin, French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Friedrich Merz and the rest of them in Brussels for that long. However, the preference to get out of dodge after a single day means several thorny problems still remain on the EU leaders' table, long after the dinner plates have been cleared away.
CBC
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Carney holds news conference in Brussels
Prime Minister Mark Carney holds a news conference to conclude the EU-Canada Summit in Brussels, joined by European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
