BSS :
EU leaders will have a hard discussion on Europe’s place in the world on Tuesday as they seek unity on how toapproach ties with superpowers China and the US. The 27 heads of state and government are set to converge on Brdo Castle in the former Yugoslav republic of Slovenia, the country that currently holds the EU’s rotating presidency.
While no concrete outcome is expected from the meeting, “this is the first time leaders have met since June, and with everything that has happened, that seems ages ago”, a senior EU diplomat said. The dinner takes place on the eve of an EU-Western Balkans summit in which countries to the bloc’s east will seek assurances on one day joining the European Union.
At the dinner, leaders will have a “strategic discussion on the role of the Union on the international stage”, according to an invitation letter sent out by EU Council chief Charles Michel, the former Belgian prime minister who organises summits.
French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to again warn his partners that Washington’s close allegiance to Europe is no longer a given, with Paris still smarting over the cancellation of a massive submarine contract to the benefit of the US.
“It would be a mistake to pretend that nothing happened,” said a French presidency source ahead of the talks.
France was infuriated last month when Australia cancelled a deal for French submarines worth tens of billions of dollars, saying it would pursue US nuclear versions as tensions rise with China.
Spain will highlight more immediate concerns, calling for a bold EU answer to focus instead on the sudden rise in energy prices, with France, Greece and Poland also seeking action.
The EU Commission is expected on Tuesday to offer short-term solutions to the energy crunch, with a more in-depth discussion by leaders at a summit on October 21-22.
