So what is it?
The body’s relatively new: it’s the brainchild of French President Emmanuel Macron, who wanted to bring together a wider circle of fellow-minded European allies in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Macron hailed the EPC, which first met in Prague in October 2022, as “a new space for political and security cooperation.” Later summits took place in Moldova and Spain.
Two such gatherings are held every year: one in spring hosted by a non-EU member country, and one in autumn by a member of the bloc.
The latest one is expected to see 45 leaders from EU states and nations on the fringes of the bloc heading to the UK. Polish PM Donald Tusk will be there too.
The pow-wow’s taking place at Blenheim Palace in south-central England – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the ancestral home of former Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
The setting may be grand, but the EPC doesn’t have the status of major international summits, such as those of NATO, the G7 or the EU.
What will it achieve then?
Critics say the aim has only been vaguely defined. They’re skeptical about how much substance it will have.
The former British government said earlier this year the meeting would “come at an important moment in efforts to galvanise support for Ukraine as fighting is expected to intensify in the summer.”
Now the UK has new people in charge after a landslide election victory by the Labour party. Keir Starmer, the new prime minister, says he wants to use the summit to relaunch his country’s relations with Europe. After long-running spats post-Brexit, there’s a lot to repair.
The leaders will also be talking security and illegal immigration.
But nobody’s holding their breath that the event will produce any earth-shaking shifts in international politics.
Why?
For a start, European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen isn’t planning to attend. She’s busy trying to shore up support from members of the European Parliament for a second five-year term in her office.
And according to Politico, other European leaders are suffering from summit fatigue after a NATO gathering in the United States and recent European Council summits.
Expectations are low then…
Indeed. But at least it’s a chance for Starmer to introduce himself on the international stage. He and his Cabinet have only been in office a couple of weeks. One diplomat from an EU country told Politico: “At least it’s a good chance to meet them.”
