Ahead of the summit, Italy, Denmark and the Netherlands organized a pre-meeting to discuss migration with the like-minded leaders of Austria, Cyprus, Poland, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Malta and Slovakia, as well as European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Macron, like several other EU leaders, did not attend the meeting.
An Elysée adviser dismissed the importance of such informal side meetings, saying that “the day was totally full” and important discussions “take place in the plenary sessions.”
However, such pre-summit side events in the past have been key in overcoming differences or setting directions for discussions.
Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz both appeared marginalized as leaders arrived at the Council building, where many praised or pushed for tougher measures on migration.
Denmark’s social democratic Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she “was really, really pleased that there are now beginning to be other governments in Europe who, like us, can see that we cannot just keep going.” Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof, who heads up a coalition with the right and far-right, noted that there’s a “different atmosphere in Europe” on the migration debate.
Scholz, on the other hand, cast doubts on the latest push on migration and stressed that the EU needs “deportations in accordance with European law.” The Elysée adviser also underlined the French presidency’s lack of enthusiasm on return hubs, calling instead for an “orderly discussion [on migration] that respects international and European law.”
