Truss and Erdogan join the European Political Community, the new security forum on the continent

The city of Prague hosts this Thursday the official opening of the European Political Community. A platform for political dialogue and cooperation that brings together the leaders of the European Union and 17 other European countries. The list of confirmed guests includes the British Prime Minister, Liz Truss, in what represents the greatest rapprochement of the United Kingdom with the EU since Brexit six years ago. And also the Turkish president, Recep Tayip Erdoganwhich systematically maintains tense relations with Brussels.

The main item on the agenda will of course be Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the list of participants is so heterogeneous, with very diverse relations with the Kremlin, that there has not even been an attempt to agree on a joint declaration to post at the end of the meeting. And this despite the fact that the meeting takes place after the annexation by Russia of four Ukrainian regions and the threats of Vladimir Putin to use nuclear weapons. “The atmosphere is serious”explains a senior European diplomat.

But what exactly is the European Political Community? This is a project launched by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, in his speech on the occasion of Europe Day on May 9, when Ukraine knocked on the doors of Brussels after the outbreak of the war. At that time it was understood as an alternative to kyiv’s entry into the community club. Or at least a waiting room. But Macron also opened the door to the United Kingdom, whose prime minister at the time, Boris Johnson, refused to coordinate with the EU on foreign policy.

[La UE aprueba el octavo paquete de sanciones contra el Kremlin: tope al precio del petróleo ruso]

“This new European organization would allow democratic european nations that adhere to our fundamental values ​​find a new space for cooperation in political, security, energy, transport, investment, infrastructure and movement of people, in particular young people”, argued the French president.

“Joining it would not necessarily prejudge future membership of the European Union, nor would it be closed to those who have abandoned the latter“, maintains Macron.

A total of 44 countries have confirmed their attendance at the inaugural meeting held in Prague. The only absent head of government will be the Danish Mette Frederiksen, who has to appear in her parliament. But Erdogan and Truss have been the ones who have taken the longest to decide.

“It is possible that we are at a turning point in relations between the United Kingdom and the EU. Not because of the supposed progress on the Northern Ireland protocol (there is not much), but because of the creation of the European Political Community, whose most important achievement may be re-interest the post-Brexit UK in the idea of ​​European cooperation“, write Mujtaba Rahman, a researcher at the Eurasia Group.

troubled relationships

Otherwise, the guest list (all EU plus Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Iceland, Kosovo, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UK) it includes a large number of countries at odds or in conflict.

This is the case of Ukraine (at war with Russia), Armenia and Azerbaijan (which in recent weeks have been on the verge of open conflict), Kosovo and Serbia (with the particularity that there are five EU countries, including Spain, which does not recognize Kosovo), or from Turkey, Greece and Cyprus.

Hence the complexity when organizing the choreography of the first meeting of the European Political Community in Prague. After an opening plenary session at 1:00 p.m. in which The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, will intervene by videoconference. the leaders will divide into four working tables dedicated to peace and security and energy, climate and economic situation.

At the end of the afternoon they have been left more than two hours free for bilateral meetings, before the closing plenary session that will take place at 19:30. In the absence of a joint statement, the leaders hope to agree on common messages for the different press conferences.

“Given the dramatic consequences of the war in Russia, which is affecting European countries on several fronts, we have agreed to launch the European Political Community with the aim of bringing together countries from the European continent and serving as a platform for political coordination “, writes the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, in his letter of invitation to the leaders.

“The goal is to bring leaders together on an equal footing and to foster political dialogue and cooperation on issues of common interest so that, together, let us work to strengthen the security, stability and prosperity of Europe as a wholeMichel maintains.

The only concrete result will be the announcement of a new meeting, which will be based outside the EU: probably in the United Kingdom or Moldova. Macron’s aspiration is for this forum to become permanent and meet at least twice a year.