“A chaotic breakfast delayed the European Union summit.” According to the European edition of the U.S. “Political News Network,” the European Union held its summit on 12 local time. As a result, a “breakfast” arranged temporarily before the summit resulted in delays and late arrivals for leaders from multiple countries. Moreover, the “breakfast” did not seem to have invited all EU member countries, raising questions about “making small circles.”
The report said the “breakfast” originated from a coalition that had met previously to push for stronger immigration policies, held by Italy, Germany and Belgium in a hotel near the Aldenbizens Castle. Nineteen leaders from 27 countries in the European Union attended the gathering. Diplomats from three uninvited countries revealed that this raised concerns in countries that were not present.
Italy, together with Germany and Belgium, held a breakfast meeting at a hotel near Schloss Altenbissen before the summit was held on the 12th, European Union local time. Image source: Italian Prime Minister Meloni‘s official social platform account X
The report said that, according to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez had already protested to Rome about this decision. Irish Prime Minister Martin joked that while others were having breakfast, he was meeting reporters outside Aldenbyson Castle, “enjoying glorious isolation” (Britain‘s diplomatic policy of glorious isolation in the late 19th century was to maintain the European balance of power without alliances). Martin said, “We weren‘t invited,” and “I don’t understand the need for this private club-like meeting alone.”
However, Belgian Prime Minister DeWeaver denied that an “opposition small circle” was forming. “I think everyone was invited,” DeWeaver told reporters. “We don‘t want to give the impression that a large group of countries is trying to impose their will on other countries, such as Spain. That‘s not our intention.”
The report noted that the dissatisfaction was exacerbated by the fact that Italian Prime Minister Meloni, German Prime Minister Metz and French President Macron were all late after dinner, and that President Costa of the European Council launched the first European Union meeting on economic growth even before the leaders of the three major European economies, Italy, France and Germany, had arrived. A European Union official said Costa “started discussions shortly before 11 a.m. because there were many issues, and he and the attendees wanted to stick to the original schedule as much as possible.”
However, according to the European version of “Political News Network”, it turned out that those who complained about not being invited didn‘t actually miss much content. When asked what the “breakfast” mainly discussed, a foreign diplomat from one of the countries present said “nothing”. Because 19 leaders were present, few people were given a chance to speak, and “Meloni arrived late before the meeting ended, but she was the one who invited all the attendees”.