European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivers a major state of the union speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025.
| Photo Credit: AP

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, left, and European Council President Charles Michel participate in a media conference at an EU summit in Brussels, Thursday, Oct. 17, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

EU leaders called Thursday (October 17) for urgent new legislation to increase and speed up migrant returns, after a Brussels summit that crystallised a rightward shift in the bloc’s rhetoric.

The 27 European leaders said their day-long talks saw “in-depth” discussions on migration — an issue that has shot up the political agenda following hard-right gains in several countries.

“The European Council calls for determined action at all levels to facilitate, increase and speed up returns from the European Union,” they wrote in summit conclusions, asking the European Commission to submit new legislation.

New ways to prevent and counter irregular migration should also be considered, the text read, in an apparent reference to controversial proposals to create return centres outside the European Union, which did not get an outright mention.

Such a move would not be “trivial” but had been discussed, EU chief Ursula von der Leyen told a press conference.

Currently, less than 20% of people ordered to leave the bloc are returned to their country of origin, according to EU data.

Italy’s hard-right Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni hosted a talks on migration ahead of the main event with 10 like-minded countries, including Denmark, the Netherlands, Hungary and Greece.

In a nod to the growing influence of immigration hawks, von der Leyen was also present.

But divisions remained on the next steps, with no concrete plans laid out in the final text. Disagreements caused a previous effort to overhaul migrant return rules to fail in 2018.

‘Innovative solutions’

Some countries poured cold water on the more radical ideas, with von der Leyen admitting that “open questions” remained on the creation of so-called “return hubs” — an issue fraught with legal and ethical concerns.

Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said such schemes created more problems than they solved and noted the need for regular migration routes amid a workforce shortage and an ageing population.

“Orderly and responsible migration is a response to the demographic challenge facing Europe,” he said.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Berlin preferred an early implementation of a landmark migration pact struck this year, which hardens border procedures and requires countries to take in asylum seekers from “frontline” states or provide money and resources.

“If we all followed the rules we have together, we would already be much further ahead,” he said.

Others say the package, set to come into force in June 2026, falls short.

The call to speed up returns echoed an appeal by most states earlier this year for the EU to explore “innovative solutions” to deal with migration.

In a letter this week, von der Leyen promised action and said the bloc will draw lessons from a deal Italy struck with Albania to send some migrants there for processing.

On Thursday the EU chief said other ideas discussed at the summit included reviewing the concept of a “safe third country” — nations asylum seekers can be legally sent back to — and working with UN agencies to help “stranded” migrants to return to their country of origin.

Italy has been pushing to ease the return of Syrian refugees, amid fears that Israel’s war in Lebanon — where many Syrians fled their country’s civil war — could spark a new migratory wave towards Europe.

New wind

The general hardening in tone comes despite a drop in detected irregular border crossings into the European Union, by more than 40 percent this year after reaching an almost 10-year peak in 2023.

“There is a new wind blowing in Europe,” said Dutch politician Geert Wilders, in Brussels for a meeting of the far-right Patriots for Europe group in the European Parliament.

Hard-right parties, often riding anti-immigrant sentiment, performed strongly in European Parliament elections in June, and have topped recent national and regional votes in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands.

France also tilted to the right after a parliamentary election in July.

Germany tightened border controls in September in response to several suspected Islamist attacks.

And this month Poland said it would partially suspend asylum rights, accusing Russia and Belarus of pushing migrants over the border to destabilise the country — a tactic the leaders vowed to confront in their summit conclusions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky also attended the meeting to present Kyiv’s “victory plan” to defeat Russia. EU leaders also discussed the conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon.

Thierry Breton. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

French European Union (EU) Commissioner Thierry Breton on Monday (September 16, 2024) resigned from the Bloc’s executive body with immediate effect, publishing a picture of his resignation letter to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on social network X.

Mr. Breton in the letter said Ms. Von der Leyen “a few days ago” had asked France to withdraw his name as the country’s pick for the Commission “for personal reasons” in return for an “allegedly more influential portfolio”.

“In light of these latest developments — further testimony to questionable governance — I have to conclude that I can no longer exercise my duties in the College”, Mr. Breton said in the letter.

His announcement comes as Ms. Von der Leyen finalises her list of Commissioners following EU elections this summer. Each EU member state will have one seat at the Commission’s table, although their political weight and importance varies greatly depending on the portfolio.

The French Presidency and Ms. Von der Leyen’s office could not immediately be reached for comment.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The European Union’s (EU) leading political umbrella group, the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), is set to back European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on March 7 for a second term running the bloc’s powerful executive.

A former German Defence Minister, Ursula von der Leyen steered the European Commission over the last five years through the COVID-19 pandemic, Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine and a related energy crunch in Europe.

The first woman ever to hold the influential job, she saw Britain out of the bloc, put into law more ambitious climate and environment policies, and oversaw new joint EU spending on energy, health and post-pandemic economic recovery.

If reappointed by leaders of the EU’s 27 member countries, she will have another term charting the bloc’s policies on everything from big tech and state aid to Chinese investment screening and sanctions against Russia.

Currently seen as a clear favourite for the job, Ms. Von der Leyen would begin a new term as Europe looks to strengthen its defence and security while Russia wages war on its borders and Donald Trump eyes a return to the White House.

Ms. Von der Leyen is the only candidate in the EPP vote on Thursday, which marks a stepping stone towards what seems like her likely reappointment.

EPP delegates cast votes from 08.15 GMT with results due from 10.15. Ms. Von der Leyen needs an absolute majority to win, something the head of the EPP said on Wednesday was bound to happen. “We stand behind Ursula von der Leyen,” said Manfred Weber.

“Europe is tested in this moment of time. We are facing a lot of challenges,” he said. “We vote against extremists and please vote for the serious centre, the biggest party,” the European People’s Party.”

Despite a rise in far-right and populist parties in the bloc, the EPP has kept a clear lead among other political groups ahead of the June European Parliament election, according to opinion polls.

The biggest hurdle for Ms. von der Leyen to win a second term might be clearing a vote in the new European Parliament, where eurosceptics are expected to win more seats. That might force the Commission head to seek votes beyond the broad traditional political centre, possibly at the price of specific policies.