Europe The next summit meeting: Merz meets EU colleagues
G7, NATO - and now the EU: Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz continues his series of summit premieres and is expected to attend his first EU summit in Brussels this Thursday.
26.06.2025, 05:43
SDA
Just one day after the summit meeting of the NATO allies in The Hague, the CDU chairman will meet with the heads of state and government of the other 26 EU countries to discuss, among other things, developments in the Middle East and further support for Ukraine in its defensive struggle against Russia.
Dissenters on Russia sanctions?
Ukraine, whose President Volodymyr Selenskyj will be connected via video, is to continue to be assured of unrestricted support. It is still unclear whether all 27 member states can really agree on this - or whether Hungary's head of government Viktor Orban will refuse to sign a joint final declaration for the third time in a row.
There is also likely to be a debate on further sanctions against Russia. The planned 18th package of measures will focus on the Russian energy and banking sectors. However, unanimity is required for the package to be adopted - and the approval of Hungary and Slovakia was recently questionable.
How will cooperation between Israel and the EU continue?
In view of the situation in the Middle East, the continuation of a partnership agreement between the EU and Israel is also likely to be discussed. The background to this is an audit report according to which Israel's actions in the Gaza Strip violate established principles for close cooperation with the international community. For the governments of the member states and the EU, this raises the question of whether and how they should react.
While member states such as Spain are calling for the agreement to be suspended, Germany takes a different position: "The German government is not in favor of suspending or even terminating this agreement," said Merz.
Separate meeting on migration policy
The topic of migration policy also continues to occupy the leaders of the EU member states. Several heads of state and government, including those from Italy and Denmark, will meet before the official meeting begins to discuss how to deal with immigration, especially illegal immigration. Merz will also take part.
Together, they are expected to agree to intensify work in several areas: These include, in particular, comprehensive partnerships with countries of origin and transit, the consistent implementation and application of existing EU rules and new ways to combat irregular migration - in line with EU and international law. This is according to a draft of the summit's final declaration, which has been made available to Deutsche Presse-Agentur.
A few days ago, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had already sent a letter to the EU heads of state and government to assess the state of affairs ahead of the meeting. In it, she spoke of a "decisive moment" for the implementation of the migration and asylum pact and emphasized the need for increased efforts at national and European level.
The group leader of the center-right EPP alliance, Manfred Weber, also called for a more decisive approach: "The internal border controls send a clear signal: Illegal migration must be significantly reduced," the CSU politician told the German Press Agency. The aim must be to make controls within Europe superfluous - for example through reception centers outside the EU, more border protection personnel and more effective deportation regulations.
Economic issues also on the agenda
Talks on Europe's competitiveness and the customs conflict with the US government led by President Donald Trump are also on the agenda. Furthermore, the heads of state and government are expected to approve the introduction of the euro in Bulgaria next year.
According to EU diplomats, French President Emmanuel Macron also wants to discuss how the EU's climate targets can be reconciled with the needs of the economy. The European Commission plans to present a proposal for the EU's 2040 climate target next week.
