Brussels:

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was elected for a second term on Thursday after pledging to create a continental “defence union” and stay the course on Europe’s green transition while cushioning its burden on industry.

Members of the European Parliament backed von der Leyen’s bid for another five-year term at the helm of the European Union’s powerful executive body with 401 votes in her favour and 284 against in a secret ballot in the 720-member chamber.

In an address to the Parliament in Strasbourg earlier in the day, von der Leyen laid out a programme focused on prosperity and security, shaped by the challenges of Russia’s war in Ukraine, global economic competition and climate change.

“The next five years will define Europe’s place in the world for the next five decades. It will decide whether we shape our own future or let it be shaped by events or by others,” von der Leyen said ahead of a secret ballot on her candidacy.

She stressed the need not to backtrack on the “Green Deal” transformation of the EU economy to fight climate change – a key pledge for Green lawmakers, who joined centre-right, centre-left and liberal groups in backing her for the post.

After pledging to support Ukraine for as long as it takes in its fight against Russia, von der Leyen said Europe’s liberty was at stake and it must invest more in defence.

Von der Leyen, a centre-right former German defence minister, pledged to create “a true European Defence Union”, with flagship projects on air and cyber defence.

The plan sparked criticism from the Kremlin, which said it

reflected an attitude of “militarisation (and) confrontation”.

Von der Leyen blasted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s recent visit to Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow as an “appeasement mission”, winning broad applause from lawmakers.

Defence policy in Europe has traditionally been the domain of national governments and NATO.

But following Russia’s attack on Ukraine and amid uncertainty over how much Europe will be able to rely on the United States for its protection should Donald Trump win the U.S. presidential election in November, the European Commission is seeking to push more joint European defence projects.

Von der Leyen also promised a raft of climate policies including a legally-binding EU target to cut emissions by 90% by 2040, compared to 1990 levels.

She also pledged new measures to help European industries stay competitive while they invest in curbing emissions.

Green Support

The Greens’ decision to join the informal alliance of parties that supports von der Leyen ensured her margin of victory was fairly comfortable. She needed 361 votes to secure a majority in the chamber.

Her own coalition of the centre-right, centre-left and liberals has 401 seats, but some of its members were expected to vote against her in the secret vote.

She might also promise tighter EU border controls and stronger police cooperation against crime.

Von der Leyen’s re-election provides continuity in the European Union’s key institution at a time of external and internal challenges – including mounting support for far-right and eurosceptic political parties in the 27-nation bloc.

In the coming weeks, she will propose her team of commissioners, who will face individual hearings from lawmakers before a final vote on the whole Commission later in the year.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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

Ursula von der Leyen pledged to be a strong leader for Europe in a time of crisis and polarization as she made her final leadership pitch on July 18 in a speech to lawmakers at the European Parliament ahead of a vote on whether to grant her a second five-year term as president of the European Union’s executive commission.

The secret ballot at the 720-seat parliament comes hot on the heels of strong gains by the far right in last month’s election for the European Parliament.

“I will never let the extreme polarization of our societies become accepted. I will never accept that demagogues and extremists destroy our European way of life. And I stand here today ready to lead the fight with all the Democratic forces in this house,” Ms. von der Leyen said.

If a majority of the lawmakers reject her candidacy, it would leave leaders of the 27-nation bloc scrambling to find a replacement as Europe grapples with crises ranging from the war in Ukraine to climate change.

In her speech to the parliament, von der Leyen said: “Europe’s destiny hinges on what we do next.” Over the past five years, von der Leyen has steered the bloc through a series of crises, including Britain’s exit from the EU, the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. She has also pushed a Green Deal aiming to make the EU climate-neutral by 2050.

Ms. Von der Leyen’s election came as newly elected U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer was welcoming some 45 heads of government to discuss migration, energy security and the threat from Russia as he seeks to restore relations between the U.K. and its European neighbors.

The leaders signed off on the conservative German von der Leyen at a summit meeting late last month. The 65-year-old von der Leyen’s bid was boosted when the European People’s Party, which includes Ms. von der Leyen’s Christian Democratic Union, remained the largest group at the EU Parliament after the elections.

But her reelection is not a foregone conclusion as some lawmakers within her own centre-right European People’s Party could still vote against her. She needs a straight majority of 361 votes to secure a second term. The German politician has been praised for her leading role during the coronavirus crisis, when the EU bought vaccines collectively for its citizens. But she also found herself receiving sharp criticism for the opacity of the negotiations with vaccine makers.

The EU general court ruled Wednesday that the commission did not allow the public enough access to information about COVID-19 vaccine purchase agreements it secured with pharmaceutical companies during the pandemic.

Following the elections for EU Parliament, European Union leaders agreed on the officials who will hold the key positions in the world’s biggest trading bloc in the coming years for issues ranging from antitrust investigations to foreign policy. At the side of Ms. von der Leyen will be two new faces: Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the top diplomat of the world’s largest trading bloc.

While Costa’s nomination only needed the leaders’ approval, Kallas will also need to be approved by European lawmakers later this year. The Estonian prime minister is a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a fierce critic of Russia within the European Union and NATO.

Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban toured key European capitals last week.
| Photo Credit: AP

Hungary takes over the European Union’s (EU) rotating presidency on July 1, promising to be an “honest broker” despite widespread concerns over what critics see as an authoritarian, Russia-friendly government.

Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has run the central European country since 2010 aiming to transform it into an “illiberal democracy”, frequently clashes with Brussels over rule-of-law and human rights issues.

He is also the only EU leader who has maintained ties with Russia despite its invasion of Ukraine. He has refused to send arms to Kyiv and repeatedly slammed sanctions against Moscow over the war.

Last year, the European Parliament adopted a non-binding resolution highlighting Hungary’s “backsliding” on democratic values, and questioning how it could “credibly” assume the bloc’s six-month presidency.

What does the European Union’s new Nature Restoration Plan include? | Explained

“Ready to assume duties and responsibilities”

Budapest insists it is ready to assume “the duties and responsibilities” steering the bloc of 27 countries.

“We will be honest brokers, working loyally with all member states and institutions,” Hungarian EU Affairs Minister Janos Boka said in mid-June as he unveiled the presidency’s programme.

“At the same time, we believe Hungary has a strong mandate to pursue a strong European policy. Our work will reflect this vision of Europe,” he added.

Hungary’s programme slogan? “Make Europe Great Again” — echoing the rallying cry of Mr. Orban’s “good friend” former U.S. President Donald Trump — which already caused a stir in Brussels.

After Hungary last held the EU presidency in 2011, Mr. Orban boasted about handing out “flicks,” “smacks,” and “friendly slaps” to the “excitable tormentors” of the European Parliament.

This time, the nationalist leader (61) is even more combative, having vowed to “occupy Brussels” during the campaign for European elections in early June, banking on a right-wing breakthrough.

But even though far-right parties made gains, Mr. Orban’s Fidesz party currently stands isolated, unable to find a group in the European Parliament that suits it.

On Sunday, Mr. Orban announced he wanted to form his own group, together with Austria’s far-right Freedom Party (FPOe) and the centrist ANO party of ex-Czech premier Andrej Babis. They still need parties from at least four other countries to join them.

The far-right swing in European Parliament elections | Explained

Last week, Mr. Orban failed to derail a deal to return Ursula von der Leyen as head of the powerful European Commission and two others from a centrist alliance taking the other top jobs.

Meanwhile, Ms. von der Leyen put off a courtesy visit to Budapest, originally planned for the Presidency opening. A new date has not been set.

Seven priorities for EU presidency

To garner support for Hungary’s programme, Mr. Orban toured key European capitals last week. Among the country’s seven priorities for its EU presidency are stemming “illegal migration” and bringing the Western Balkans countries “one step closer” to EU membership.

Mr. Orban can use the presidency to set the agenda, but he cannot achieve results without the commission’s support, Daniel Hegedus, a senior fellow at the German Marshall Fund told AFP.

He also noted that the Hungarian premier has limited opportunity to act as a spoiler, as the outgoing Belgian presidency and EU institutions have rushed to conclude important decisions.

Last week, the European Union adopted a fresh sanction package against Russia and formally launched “historic” accession talks with Ukraine. “Everybody was striving to reduce instability, thus restricting the room for manoeuvre for the Hungarian presidency,” Mr. Hegedus said. “But more “trolling on the communication front” is to be expected,” he added.

Among Hungary’s battles with Brussels, Budapest is looking to unlock billions of euros in EU funds frozen over issues including LGBTQ rights, the treatment of asylum seekers and public procurement.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas walk together to a media conference during an EU summit in Brussels, early on June 28, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

European Union leaders signed off on a trio of top appointments for their shared political institutions on Thursday, reinstalling German conservative Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission for another five years.

At the side of Ms. von der Leyen, who heads the EU’s executive branch, would be two new faces: Antonio Costa of Portugal as European Council president and Estonia’s Kaja Kallas as the top diplomat of the world’s largest trading bloc.

“Mission Accomplished,” outgoing EU Council President Charles Michel told reporters after chairing a summit of the bloc’s leaders, as Ms. von der Leyen and Ms. Kallas accompanied him at a joint a news conference. Mr. Costa took part via video-link.

Ms. Von der Leyen expressed her gratitude for a shot at a second term of office, saying: “I’m very honored and I’m delighted to share this moment.”

Ms. Kallas, who as the EU’s top diplomat will lead the bloc’s foreign and security policy with Russia’s war on Ukraine in its third year, noted that “there is war in Europe, also growing instability globally. My aim is definitely to work for the European unity.”

Both Ms. von der Leyen and Ms. Kallas should now be approved by European lawmakers. Mr. Costa’s nomination only needed the leaders’ approval, and he will start in his new role in fall.

After the three centrist political families in the European Parliament struck a deal earlier this week, the top jobs package was widely expected to be approved without controversy at the summit in Brussels.

But far-right politicians, emboldened by their strong showing in EU parliament elections earlier this month, slammed it as a stitch-up.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made clear her displeasure at being excluded from preparatory talks with a small group of leaders who divvied up the top jobs. Her nationalist European Conservatives and Reformists group emerged as the third force in the EU parliament elections earlier this month.

Ms. Meloni voted against Portugal’s Costa and Estonia’s Kallas, two sources close to the discussions told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity. Ms. Meloni abstained on Ms. von der Leyen for European Commission president, the same sources confirmed. The officials requested anonymity in line with EU practice.

In a post on X, Ms. Meloni said the way that mainstream parties put forward the trio “is wrong in method and substance. I decided not to support it out of respect for the citizens and the indications that came from those citizens during the elections.”

Nationalist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban was the only other major critic of the deal.

“European voters were cheated,” he said on Facebook Thursday evening. “We do not support this shameful agreement!” His objections were moot: the package only needed a two-thirds majority to pass.

The June 6-9 election saw the EU’s legislature shift to the right and dealt major blows to mainstream governing parties in France and Germany, but the three mainstream groups managed to hold a narrow majority of seats.

Mr. Costa, a former Portuguese prime minister, hails from the center-left Socialists and Democrats group, which came second. Ms. Kallas is prime minister of her tiny Baltic home country. She comes from the pro-business liberal group, which is also home to embattled French President Emmanuel Macron and lost seats in the June poll, trailing into fourth place.

EU top appointments are supposed to ensure geographic and ideological balance, but ultimately it is the 27 leaders who call the shots – and generally the most powerful among them.

While Mr. Costa’s appointment is decided by EU leaders alone, both Ms. von der Leyen and Ms. Kallas will also need to be approved by a majority of lawmakers. With 720 members, the threshold is 361. That vote could happen when the newly constituted European Parliament meets for the first time in July.

The European Council is the body composed of the leaders of the 27 member states. If confirmed, Mr. Costa’s role as president would be to broker deals within an often hopelessly divided political club. In Portugal, he is known as a savvy negotiator.

But Ms. von der Leyen’s role is the most powerful. As commission president, her job is to devise and implement the bloc’s shared policy on everything from migration to the economy and environmental rules.

With the far right pushing back against the flagship EU policies ushered through in the last five years, Ms. von der Leyen’s critics charge she is poised to roll back ambition.

Brussels:

European Union leaders agreed on Friday to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU’s powerful executive body.

At a summit in Brussels, the bloc’s 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the future chair of their European Council meetings and selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.

The leadership package represents continuity for the 27-member bloc, with centrist pro-EU factions keeping hold of top posts despite a far-right surge in elections to the European Parliament earlier this month.

The deal was announced by the current European Council president, Charles Michel, on social media.

The trio won broad backing from leaders but diplomats said right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained from the vote on von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Kallas.

Von der Leyen’s nomination still needs approval from the European Parliament in a secret ballot – widely seen as a trickier proposition than her endorsement by EU leaders.

At the summit, the EU also signed a security agreement with Ukraine, debated how to bolster EU defences against Russia and agreed bloc’s strategic priorities for the next five years.

The security deal underlines EU support for Kyiv fighting off Moscow’s invasion for a third year, despite gains by the far-right in European elections, uncertainty created by French snap elections and the U.S. presidential vote in November.

The agreement lays out the EU’s commitments to help Ukraine in nine areas of security policy – including arms deliveries, military training, defence industry cooperation and demining.

“These commitments will help Ukraine defend itself, resist destabilisation, and deter future acts of aggression – more concrete proof of the EU’s unshakeable resolve to support Ukraine for the long haul,” Michel said.

The leaders will reiterate their pledge to support Ukraine as long as it takes, stressing that “Russia must not prevail” and that Ukraine must get back the land annexed by Moscow.

DEFENCE DEBATE

The war in Ukraine laid bare the EU’s lack of preparedness for a conflict as the bloc struggles to supply Kyiv with enough weapons against Russia, prompting calls for more EU coordination of defence systems and investment in defence industries.

Diplomats said von der Leyen told the summit that between 1999 and 2021, the EU increased defence spending by 20%, China by 600% and Russia by 300%, even before Moscow’s massive rise in military spending after its invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

According to diplomats, von der Leyen told leaders the EU needed to invest 500 billion euros ($535.30 billion) in defence over the next 10 years. Financing options ranged from national contributions, dedicated revenue streams – called the EU’s own resources – and joint borrowing, von der Leyen said.

Investment in defence is part of the EU’s “strategic agenda” that the leaders aim to agree before dinner on Thursday – a document that tells EU institutions what European governments want them to focus on during their 2024-2029 term.

Apart from defence, the agenda calls for a more competitive EU to withstand economic pressure from China and the United States and for preparing the bloc for enlargement that would include Ukraine, Moldova and the Western Balkans.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

The EU will provide assistance to cash-strapped Egypt. In this file photo, Egyptians count money at a currency exchange office in downtown Cairo, Egypt.
| Photo Credit: AP

The European Union on March 17 announced a $8 billion aid package for cash-strapped Egypt amid concerns that economic pressure and conflicts and chaos in neighbouring countries could drive more migrants to European shores.

The deal is scheduled to be signed during a visit by European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and the leaders of Belgium, Italy, Austria, Cyprus and Greece, according to Egyptian officials.

The package includes both grants and loans over the next three years for the Arab world’s most populous country, according to the European Union Mission in Cairo.

According to a document from the EU mission in Egypt, the two sides have promoted their cooperation to the level of a “strategic and comprehensive partnership,” paving the way for expanding Egypt-EU cooperation in various economic and non-economic areas.

The EU will provide assistance to Egypt’s government to fortify its borders especially with Libya, a major transit point for migrants fleeing poverty and conflicts in Africa and the Middle East, and will support the government in hosting Sudanese who have fled nearly a year of fighting between rival generals in their country.

Also read: Unable to survive in Egypt, refugees from war-torn Sudan return home

Egypt has for decades been a refuge for migrants from sub-Saharan Africa trying to escape war or poverty. For some, Egypt is a destination and a haven, the closest and easiest country for them to reach. For others, it is a point of transit before attempting the dangerous Mediterranean crossing to Europe.

While the Egyptian coast has not been a major launching pad for people smugglers and human traffickers sending overcrowded boats across the Mediterranean to Europe, Egypt faces migratory pressures from the region, with the added looming threat that the Israel-Hamas war will spill across its borders.

The package drew criticism from international rights groups over Egypt’s human rights record. Amnesty International decried the deal and urged European leaders not to be complicit with human rights violations taking place in Egypt.

“EU leaders must ensure that the Egyptian authorities adopt clear benchmarks for human rights,” said Amnesty International’s Head of the European Institutions Office, Eve Geddie in a statement. Geddie pointed to Egypt’s restrictions on media and freedom of expression and a crackdown on civil society.

President of the European Commission, Ursula von Der Leyen, right, and Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides shake hands after a press conference at the Joint Search and Rescue Coordination center in Larnaca, Cyprus, on Friday March 8, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen expressed hopes Friday that a humanitarian aid corridor from Cyprus to Gaza will open this weekend, amid fears of famine in the war-torn Palestinian territory.

“We are very close to opening this corridor, hopefully this Sunday,” Ms. von der Leyen said following a visit to the Cypriot port of Larnaca with Cyprus’s President Nikos Christodoulides.

Her announcement came after U.S. President Joe Biden, in his State of the Union address on Thursday, said the U.S. military would establish a temporary port off Gaza’s coast to bring in aid.

Senior U.S. administration officials said the effort announced by Biden builds upon the maritime aid corridor proposed by Cyprus — the closest European Union member to Gaza.

Ms. Von der Leyen described the situation in Gaza as “dire… and we face a humanitarian catastrophe”.

She said “an initial pilot operation” would be launched on Friday, and the United Arab Emirates had helped activate the corridor “by securing the first of many shipments of goods to the people of Gaza”.

The European Commission issued a joint statement with Cyprus, the UAE, United States and United Kingdom “endorsing the activation” of the maritime aid corridor to Gaza.

“The delivery of humanitarian assistance directly to Gaza by sea will be complex, and our nations will continue to assess and adjust our efforts to ensure we deliver aid as effectively as possible,” the statement said.

“This maritime corridor can — and must — be part of a sustained effort to increase the flow of humanitarian aid and commercial commodities into Gaza through all possible routes.”

The statement added that Cyprus “will soon convene senior officials to discuss how we can accelerate this maritime channel”.

Israel welcomes opening

Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron, in a post on social media platform X, said his country, the United States and partners “will open a maritime corridor to deliver aid directly to Gaza”.

But he added: “We continue to urge Israel to allow more trucks into Gaza as the fastest way to get aid to those who need it.”

Mr. Christodoulides said the sea corridor aimed to “scale up” aid by complementing other routes and airdrops.

A senior United States administration official said the Cyprus initiative “provides a platform at the port of Larnaca for the transloading of assistance and screening by Israeli officials of Gaza-bound goods”.

A ship could take roughly 10 hours to reach Gaza from Larnaca, about 370 kilometres 370 (230 miles) away.

Israel welcomed the planned opening of the Cyprus-Gaza maritime corridor.

“The Cypriot initiative will allow the increase of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, after a security check according to Israeli standards,” foreign ministry spokesman Lior Haiat said on X.

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.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, center left, reviews the honour guard with Montenegro’s President Jakov Milatovic in Montenegro’s capital Podgorica, on Oct. 31, 2023.
| Photo Credit: AP

Montenegro’s new government was confirmed on October 31, with the Prime Minister promising to unblock the Balkan nation’s stalled European Union integration process as a top EU official was set to hold talks in the small NATO member country.

Parliament approved the new Cabinet with 46 votes in favour and 19 against after a session that lasted all night. Montenegro’s Assembly has 81 members but not all were present at the vote.

The government was formed after months of political bickering that followed an election in June. The centrist Europe Now party of Prime Minister Milojko Spajic won the election but without enough support to form a government on its own.

To form the government, the winning coalition received backing from staunchly anti-Western groups under the condition that one of their leaders, Andrija Mandic, was elected as the speaker of parliament — an influential political position.

Mr. Spajic said his government would be pro-European despite Mandic’s election. He dismissed reports that his Cabinet would be influenced by neighbouring Serbia, from which Montenegro split in 2006 after an independence referendum.

“We can’t wait to make a result for our country,” Mr. Spajic told reporters. “We hope to unclog the European integration, move forward quickly and become the next member of the European Union.”

Mr. Spajic spoke shortly before EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was set to hold talks in the capital, Podgorica, as part of a tour of Western Balkan nations aspiring to join the 27-nation union. Ms. Von der Leyen visited North Macedonia and Kosovo before Montenegro and is slated to travel to Serbia later on Tuesday.

Six Western Balkan countries are at different stages on their path to join the EU, in a process expected to take years.

As the war rages in Ukraine, EU officials recently have sought to push the process forward and encourage Balkan nations to boost reform to join. Ms. Von der Leyen was discussing details of the 6 billion-euro ($6.37 billion) package for Western Balkan countries, along with tensions that still exist in the region long after ethnic wars of the 1990s.

Recent violence and tensions between Serbia and Kosovo have been high on von der Leyen’s agenda as the EU seeks to negotiate a solution for the dispute. Kosovo split from Serbia in 2008 but Belgrade has refused to recognize the former province’s independence.

In Montenegro, U.S. and EU officials have suggested that the country, should avoid introducing an anti-NATO and anti-Western political party into its coalition if it wants to join the bloc.

Mr. Mandic had called for close ties with Russia rather than the EU, criticized Montenegro’s NATO membership and was against splitting from Serbia. But, when elected as Parliament Speaker on Monday, Mr. Mandic said he is ready to “send some new messages.”

Hundreds of opposition supporters waving Montenegrin flags staged a protest in front of the parliament building in the capital against the new government. Opposition lawmakers criticized the new government as anti-European because of the participation of pro-Serb parties.

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen speaks during a news conference with the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in Tirana, Albania, on Sept. 28, 2021. Leaders from the European Union and the Western Balkans are holding an annual summit in Albania’s capital to discuss the six countries’ path to membership in the bloc. fight.
| Photo Credit: AP

Leaders from the European Union and the Western Balkans will hold a summit in Albania’s capital on October 16 to discuss the path to membership in the bloc for the six countries of the region.

The main topics at the annual talks — called the Berlin Process — are integrating the Western Balkans into a single market and supporting their green and digital transformation. The nations in the region are Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.

The senior EU officials attending the summit in Tirana are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel. They will be joined by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The six Western Balkan countries are at different stages of integration into the bloc. Serbia and Montenegro were the first Western Balkan countries to launch membership negotiations a few years ago, followed by Albania and Macedonia last year, while Bosnia and Kosovo have only begun the first step of the integration process.

Russia’s war in Ukraine has put integration of the Western Balkans into the EU at the top of the 27-nation bloc’s agenda. The EU is trying to reinvigorate the whole enlargement process, which has been stalled since 2013, when the last country to become a member was Croatia.

The EU had made it a requirement for Western Balkans to reform their economies and political institutions before joining the bloc.

Ms. Von der Leyen mentioned a new growth plan for the Western Balkan countries that she will make public at the summit: opening new trade routes in seven specific areas of the EU’s common market for the Balkan countries, which need to implement quick reforms that in turn will be accompanied by investment.

Ms. Von der Leyen, speaking at a news conference on October 15 after meeting with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, gave no further details.

A bitter dispute between Serbia and Kosovo, a former Serbian province that declared independence in 2008, remains a great concern for the EU before the summit. A recent shootout between masked Serb gunmen and Kosovo police that left four people dead and sent tensions soaring in the region seems to have suspended the EU-facilitated dialogue to normalize their ties.

EU officials have called on the Balkan countries to overcome regional conflicts and stand together as Russia wages war in Ukraine.

The summit, which is being held for the first time in a non-EU member country, takes place at a pharaonic landmark, known as the Pyramid. It was built in 1988 as a posthumous museum for Albania’s communist-era strongman, Enver Hoxha.