Dhe family photo will go down in the history books, diplomats predict. A total of 44 heads of state and government will line up at 2 p.m. at Prague Castle. All European countries are represented, except two: Belarus and Russia. British Prime Minister Liz Truss arrives, as does Turkish President Erdogan. Ukraine will be represented by Prime Minister Denys Schmyhal. This is the first meeting of the European Political Community, invented by French President Emmanuel Macron. And that should send a clear signal to Moscow: Europeans stand with Kyiv and will not be divided.
Thomas Gutschker
Political correspondent for the European Union, NATO and the Benelux countries based in Brussels.
“We stand in solidarity – not just the members of the European Union, but all European countries,” the heads of government of the Netherlands and Albania, Mark Rutte and Edi Rama, said in a guest article for the Internet magazine “Politico”. The Russian invasion forces everyone to think about how to protect their values and their democracy. “It goes without saying that we need a strong, sustainable and united Europe,” they wrote. They cited energy supply, the climate crisis, cybersecurity and joint trade as common challenges.
Heads of State and Government will first meet in plenary at 1 p.m. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fialla will host it, along with Rama, Truss, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj, as usual connected by video from Kyiv. It was important that the European side did not dominate the meeting. In general, everyone is reminded that this is not an “EU plus” format, but a meeting of States. However, Ursula von der Leyen will also participate as President of the European Commission. And the preparation rested mainly with Charles Michel, President of the European Council.
After the family photo, the Heads of State and Government should exchange in a reduced format. There are two round tables each on the themes “Peace and Security” and “Energy, Economy and Climate”. Such a discussion format has already been tried out at the EU-Africa summit. Later in the afternoon, two and a half hours are reserved for bilateral meetings before meeting again at 7 p.m. for dinner and discussing the individual debates.
There will be no final declaration, which would have required weeks of negotiations. Direct and open exchange is more important, says an EU official. However, the European side will insist that its partners join the sanctions against Russia. Serbia and Turkey, for example, have so far rejected it, although both are candidate countries.
It was not obvious that all the guests agreed. Truss announced in June that she didn’t think much about the format, at the time as Foreign Secretary. During the election campaign for the Conservative Party leadership, she called it an “open question” whether Macron was a “friend or foe”. Ironically, he announced early on to involve the UK post-Brexit via the new format. The British Prime Minister came to Prague on Thursday with the request to continue supporting Kyiv in the war against Russia “with unity and determination”.
But Truss has also called for the oil and gas pipelines that connect the island to the mainland to remain open – a recognition of Britain’s dependence on the mainland.
The question of whether Erdogan should be invited was part of a political fight in Brussels. Greeks and Cypriots would have liked to keep it at a distance, especially since Turkey has bid farewell to the European consensus on values. However, diplomats have pointed out that an exclusion of the Turkish president could have serious consequences for Sweden and Finland: the two countries are waiting for the Turkish parliament – just back from the summer break – to ratify their membership of NATO.
Jochen Buchsteiner, London
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Thomas Gutschker, Brussels
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Thomas Gutschker, Brussels
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With Armenia and Azerbaijan, it was unclear whether they could sit at the same table given their ongoing hostilities. It was not until September that fighting broke out, killing several hundred people. The President of the Council, Michel, manages to lure them both to Prague. Both countries are part of the EU’s Eastern Partnership, as is Belarus. However, Minsk was not invited as it supports Putin’s attack on Ukraine and faces multiple sanctions.
French President Macron has proposed a meeting of all Europeans in May. In doing so, he takes up the idea of a European confederation that François Mitterrand had developed in 1989 after the fall of the iron curtain. However, Mitterrand wanted to involve the Soviet Union at the time – which met with resistance from central-eastern Europeans and caused the initiative to fizzle out in 1991. This became clear when a meeting at Prague Castle, to which the United States and Canada were also invited.
The European Political Community – without Russia – should have a longer life. Heads of State and Government are expected to meet twice a year in this format, the next time in a non-EU country. Several countries have applied, including the United Kingdom and Moldova. Who gets the offer is the only real decision pending in Prague.
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A clear signal in Moscow
No closing statement
Fight for Erdogan’s invitation
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