EU leaders were to meet yesterday in Brussels for a summit fraught with disputes on how to handle the many crises they face, including possibly the biggest rift of all — how to handle Brexit.
After a day of talks on migrants, Turkey, Russia, defense in the era of US president-elect Donald Trump and the eurozone economy in the age of austerity, leaders will see British Prime Minister Theresa May out and then agree over dinner how to get rid of her for good.
Diplomats and officials involved in preparing the quarterly European Council said a consensus on the procedures the 27 will adopt once May launches Britain’s formal withdrawal by March had been among the least divisive issues on the table.
“We are walking on a minefield,” a senior EU official said.
The 28 leaders will start with a review of where they stand on dealing with the crisis that blew up last year when more than 1 million people — many war refugees from Syria — reached Europe, mostly via Turkey by boat to the Greek islands.
Satisfaction that the route is all but closed is shaded by unease at how this was achieved: tightening controls on borders within Europe, sealing Greece off from the Balkans and offering inducements to awkward neighbor Turkey to stop people leaving.
Leaders were expected to reaffirm their commitment to keeping promises to Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan despite anger at the way he has cracked down on critics after a coup attempt six months ago.
However, the Austrian government, battling anti-immigrant opponents at home, blocked a broader statement on Turkey one day joining the EU because Vienna had insisted that the summit formally suspend Ankara’s EU membership talks.
Brussels is working to curb migration from Africa to Italy by putting pressure on governments there via aid budgets and by preparing to step up the deportation of illegal immigrants.
However, Italy will complain that opposition from ex-communist eastern states to taking in Muslim refugees has left it with a swelling population of asylum seekers and little sign of fellow EU countries making good on a pledge to take in a share.
Anger at serving politicians helped bring down former Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi after a referendum this month and his successor, Paolo Gentiloni, was attending his first summit, with Rome holding up the EU’s latest budget in frustration at deadlocks in the EU.
He would be backed up by Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in his complaints over the lack of “solidarity” on migrants — Tsipras could also raise Athens’ grumbles about austerity being imposed by Germany and other lenders to its bailout.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, seeking a fourth term in September, may have to explain again why her conservative-led coalition is resisting calls from Mediterraneans on the left, including Gentiloni and French President Francois Hollande, to loosen its purse strings to help the eurozone economy.
Hollande, bowing out next year, might face questions about the chances he might be succeeded in May by Marine Le Pen, the National Front leader whose election in the country that created the EU would threaten its demise.
Many leaders find themselves the uncomfortable center of attention as they fight for national interests against a background of rising nationalism; Prime Minister Mark Rutte would have to weather a barrage of criticism to secure a special EU statement that he hopes will let the Netherlands ratify the trade deal with Ukraine that sparked confrontation with Russia.
One moment of unity is likely to be a formal endorsement of a renewal of sanctions on Moscow for six months — though many say this may be the last such rollover, once Trump enters the White House and seeks better ties with Russia.
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