While the meeting is not expected to produce binding commitments, it will set a broad political direction for the European Commission, which is due to draw up proposals ahead of a formal summit in late March.
“Everyone around the table must … face a moment of truth,” said Manfred Weber, leader of the European People’s Party, whose members include German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Leaders should “not complain about each other” but do their “homework” to ensure reforms can be completed, he added.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna told POLITICO ahead of the summit that “Europe has lots of leverage. We just need to stick together and make decisions … instead of whining and complaining, we need to understand that through strength Europe will actually have [a firm] position.”
A glaring example is the recent disagreement between EU powerhouses France and Germany, whose leaders clashed over Emmanuel Macron’s refusal to endorse the EU-Mercosur trade deal. In an interview published Tuesday by several European newspapers, the French president trumpeted the need for joint European borrowing to finance ambitious industrial and defense projects — a call that was promptly rebuffed by Germany.
“You will have seen the interview with the French president published today,” said a senior German government official, granted anonymity to discuss sensitive summit preparations. “We think that … this distracts a little from what it’s actually all about, namely that we have a productivity problem.”
Other capitals were quick to chime in. “[It’s] good that Macron sees the need to invest in Europe’s future economy,” said an EU diplomat from a mid-sized country. But, the diplomat added, such a push amounts to “daydreaming” given the possibility to spend via the EU’s long-term budget.