EU’s crisis-proofing summit derailed by ... another crisis
Key Takeaways
- EU leaders aimed to address long-term competitiveness and independence from China and the US.
- Leaders were derailed by another crisis, returning to firefighting rather than long-term planning.
- Donald Trump-related issues distracted from the EU's agenda.
EU agenda shift
EU leaders were all set to finally hammer out how they will revive the bloc’s ailing economy and chart a path to independence from powers like China and the United States.
“Leaders had hoped to focus on the EU's long-term competitiveness problem”
Trump shifts EU focus
But Donald Trump had other plans.
Energy crisis and Iran war
Just as the U.S. president’s threats to seize Greenland haddominated a previous gatheringof leaders in January (and his tariffs had overshadowed a meeting before that), the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran has hijacked the agenda of Thursday’s European Council, forcing leaders to focus on a short-term energy crisis — while sapping attention from the original aim of talking about long-term competitiveness.
“Leaders had hoped to focus on the EU's long-term competitiveness problem”
EU relief push quotes
“It is crucial that we reduce the price impact” from the war, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said in the run-up to the summit.
“We must deliver relief now … [We need] a comprehensive look at how to reduce people’s energy bills.”
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