Dan’s choice of political home is significant as it has the potential to influence the dynamic among leaders around the summit table in Brussels. While Dan will remain free to follow his own priorities, members of European political parties regularly meet before leaders’ summits to coordinate their positions ahead of the top-level talks and to set long-term strategies; as well as to build networks and make social connections.
At this month’s European Council in Brussels, Dan was invited to the pre-summit meetings of both Renew and the EPP. He had said he would attend them both, but later changed his mind and went to neither.
“He initially said that he will take part in the meetings, but afterwards decided against it because it wouldn’t have been polite to go from meeting to meeting, considering they were scheduled to have important talks on sensitive topics,” a spokesperson for President Dan said.
“He is weighing his decision very carefully, with the utmost respect toward the importance of it, and he will decide for the next [European Council summit] which one of the political families’ meetings he will attend.”
Dan has apparently given both camps reason to believe he will choose them.
A Renew official argued the liberals had a good chance of catching him because Dan needed to keep the conservatives at arm’s length.
