António Costa takes over the leadership of the European Council - The first black person to occupy a high post in the bloc's history!
The changing of the guard has taken place in Brussels. Charles Michel, the outgoing president of the European Council, has handed over the baton to his successor, António Costa. Friday's brief ceremony was marked by calls for political unity in the face of adversity.
"The only way to be truly patriotic is to ensure sovereignty, to build a common Europe. Because only together can we stand up for security, stability and peace on our continent. Only together can we achieve common prosperity, economic growth and climate transition," Costa told a crowd of officials and diplomats. "Unity is the lifeblood of the European Union."
Costa, Portugal's former prime minister, will take office on December 1, which coincides with the start of Ursula von der Leyen's incoming leadership of the European Commission. His mandate will last two and a half years with the possibility of extension once more. Von der Leyen and Michel had a notoriously frosty relationship dating back to the Sofagate episode in Turkey. Costa aims to close this chapter and "work closely" with von der Leyen to "reinforce each other's actions", a senior EU official said.
As president of the European Council, he will prepare and moderate EU summits, where leaders set the bloc's future political agenda. The position lacks executive powers and is mainly aimed at representation and coordination. In his speech, the incoming president portrayed himself as a bridge-builder and argued that "differences of opinion" between member states, which are frequent and numerous, should be respected rather than treated as a "problem".
"We have 27 different histories and cultures and we look at the world from different geographical locations. This diversity is completely natural. It enriches us and we can actually use it. It is the strength of Europe," said the 63-year-old. Once in office, Costa will become the most prominent figure of the socialist family in Brussels, along with Teresa Ribera, the first executive vice-president of the Commission. For the Socialists, these two appointments are vital to maintaining some degree of influence as the bloc continues its shift to the right.
Among Costa's main priorities will be support for Ukraine, defense policy, competitiveness, migration management and EU budget reform, topics that von der Leyen has emphasized for her second presidency.
"Peace cannot mean the peace of a graveyard. Peace does not mean capitulation. Peace must not reward aggression. Peace in Ukraine must be just. It must be sustainable. It must be based on international law," he said. on friday. "This war is on European soil, but at stake are the universal principles embodied in the Charter of the United Nations."
Another focus of particular attention will be enlargement, a sensitive area where unanimity among leaders is essential to move forward. Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Turkey and Ukraine are currently candidates to join the bloc (Turkey's bid has long since been frozen, while Georgia's has been suspended).
Costa believes that accession negotiations should progress without "artificial deadlines but also without unnecessary obstacles". This marks a departure from the approach of Charles Michel, who famously set a 2030 deadline for enlargement that the Commission, which assesses the progress made by each applicant, refused to approve. "Enlargement in the Western Balkans and our eastern neighbors is a powerful tool for peace, security and prosperity and a geopolitical imperative," he said.
In another break from Michel, Costa wants to ensure that EU summits last just one day rather than two, and conclusions are drawn up when leaders sit down at the table, even if that may be impossible for key discussions like the budget.
The incoming president also wants to organize "informal retreats" outside Brussels' institutional gray area to allow leaders to address the most important topics on the agenda "without the pressure of making a decision. The first is expected to take place on February 3 and will to be dedicated to defence, which will be attended by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.Costa, whose father was half French-Mozambican and half Indian, is the first black person to hold the post high in the block's history.
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