End of the EU summit: “That was very intense”

Fierce discussions, heated arguments – in the end the EU summit brought little. No agreement on Hungary’s controversial “gay law”, no direct dialogue with Russia. Only on the subject of Corona did everyone agree.

The German Chancellor has never experienced such a summit night – and that means something. After all, Angela Merkel has been with Brussels for 16 years, longer than anyone else among her European counterparts. Merkel called the discussion with the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban about the so-called “homosexual law” “honest and controversial”. In other words: It got pretty tough.

Such a heated argument was also new for the Dutchman Mark Rutte: “The fact that presidents and heads of government talk to each other like this when it comes to the situation in a country has not been part of my eleven years here. That was very fierce.”

Almost all of them were against one. Orban was only supported from Slovenia and Poland. The vast majority, on the other hand, consider the Hungarian restriction of information about homosexuality to be a clear violation of fundamental rights such as the prohibition of discrimination. For Merkel, too, the debate is far from over. “The EU is not just an internal market, but has come together on the basis of common values,” said the Chancellor.

Dialogue with Russia failed

The Franco-German idea of ​​not only demonstrating toughness towards Russia, but also to get back into conversation with President Vladimir Putin, has failed spectacularly. The Eastern European countries in particular warned against making concessions without consideration. The Kremlin interpreted this as a weakness, they argued. Instead, the EU now wants to increase the pressure on Moscow, for example with economic sanctions, if Russia, as stated in the final declaration, should plan further malicious and illegal actions.

“The result is a united Europe that is powerful and can enforce its demands and conditions for further possible negotiations with Russia,” said Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins.

Chancellor Merkel, on the other hand, would have wished for much more. The EU should not leave the dialogue with Russia to the United States, but rather enter into talks with Moscow itself, also as an expression of European sovereignty.

Migration pact with Turkey extended

“I don’t see such conversations as a form of reward, but I think we have to remember that even during the Cold War, under the most difficult of conditions, such channels of conversation were always there,” said Merkel.

The heads of state and government have agreed to extend the expiring migration pact with Turkey. Around three billion euros are to be made available for the next few years so that the refugees, mainly from Syria, can be cared for in Turkey, Jordan and Lebanon. In the fight against the corona pandemic, the summit agreed that in view of the rampant delta variant of the virus, the borders should only be cautiously opened to travelers from third countries.

“In view of the Delta variant, we have to remain vigilant. And: vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate – that is the best strategy,” said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Finally, so it was said at the end of the meeting, everything must be done to prevent a fourth wave.