The leaders of the European Union member states have gathered in Brussels for a summit. The European Council is set to decide on the four top appointments and the Union’s strategic agenda, which will guide the work of the next Commission. The heads of state will also discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East. The meeting will be attended by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyi, who thanked the EU for supporting Ukraine.
This week, the EU and Ukraine started official membership negotiations. The decision to open the negotiations was made in December, but the practical work only began now. Zelenskyi emphasized the importance of opening membership negotiations with the EU for Ukraine and expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
Earlier this week, the parties EPP, S&D, and Renew of the European Parliament’s “grand coalition” reached an agreement on the most important appointments for the next EU term. If there are no surprises at the meeting, Ursula von der Leyena of the German Christian Democrats will continue to lead the EU Commission, Antonio Costa of the Portuguese Socialists will become the President of the European Council, and Kaja Kalla of the Estonian Liberals will become the High Representative of the EU’s foreign relations. Roberta Metsola of the Maltese Christian Democrats will continue as Speaker of the Parliament.
Finland is represented at the summit by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who expressed satisfaction with the progress made on both the appointment package and the content matters. Orpo noted that despite the complexity of the negotiations, a solution is near. Italy, represented by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, has been seeking greater visibility in the decision-making processes of the EU due to its size and relevance.
According to Orpo, Finland is pleased with the EU’s strategic agenda, which aligns with many key goals important to the country. The meeting may be expedited due to the upcoming parliamentary elections in France, as President Emmanuel Macron needs to return home from Brussels.