The #EUCO summit of EU prime ministers and presidents has just gotten underway here in Brussels.

There are many important issues to discuss, among them soaring #energy prices and a #migration crisis at the #Belarus border.

But the #RuleOfLaw row with #Poland may dominate.
Polish Prime Minister Mateusz #Morawiecki struck a defiant tone as he entered the summit, telling journalists he will not change course because of "blackmail pressure".

He repeated the assertion made at EU parliament Tuesday that EU's supreme court is overstepping its authority. Image
The Polish PM is being supported by Hungarian PM Viktor #Orban, who told reporters there is "a witch hunt in Europe against #Poland".

He said he agrees with Morawiecki that their EU accession treaties didn't establish primacy of EU law. Legal experts disagree. Image
French President @EmmanuelMacron met with Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki this morning at Brussels airport and shared his concerns about the constitutional court ruling, but stressed he wanted to find a solution.
Dutch PM Mark Rutte was the most vocal about the #Poland situation upon entering #EUCO.

"It's difficult to see how a big new fund of money...could be made available to Poland when this is not settled," he said.

"We have to be tough, but the question is how do you get there". Image
But German Chancellor Angela #Merkel is taking a much softer approach, telling reporters as she arrived for her (likely) last #EUCO summit that the EU needs to "come back together" on this.

But she added that primacy of EU law is “a core of the EU’s existence". Image
#EUCO leaders are now starting the summit talking about rising energy prices. They are expected to endorse the Commission's proposed toolbox, but expectations are being ratcheted down for any decisive EU-level action today.

Tomorrow they'll discuss the crisis at Belarus border.
Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez told reporters upon entering #EUCO summit that he will call for:

📈A revision of the way electricity prices are set on the EU's wholesale market
💶Joint EU joint gas purchasing
👮A crackdown on energy speculation Image
Finnish PM Sanna Marin echoed Sanchez's remarks, saying Europe risks walking into a major crisis as cold weather arrives.

In the long term, she said, the only solution is to increase the EU's energy independence [away from #Russia]. Image
While she tried to dampen tension over the #Poland rule of law issue, #Merkel was keen to stress the seriousness of #Belarus's "state-backed human trafficking" - and the continued failure of the EU to come to any agreement on migrant settlement generally. Image
Here's more background on today's #EUCO #Poland #RuleOfLaw showdown in this week's WPR Europe Decoder newsletter:
worldpoliticsreview.com/trend-lines/30…

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More from @DaveKeating

22 Oct
The rumours were true: #Italy has taken over the #UK's former briefing room at the European Council in Brussels.

The 'big 3' post-summit briefings (the only ones with interpretation) used to be 🇩🇪🇫🇷🇬🇧. Now it's 🇩🇪🇫🇷🇮🇹.
#Draghi now speaking from where British prime ministers used to stand. #Brexit Image
BTW it's nice to finally have a PM in this room that's actually talking about what happened at the summit.

In my 11 years covering these summits the UK PMs would only call on UK reporters, who would ask about things that had no relation to the summit that just happened.
Read 4 tweets
22 Oct
President @vonderleyen on #EUCO decisions on rising energy prices: "In the short term we need to support vulnerable consumers and heavily exposed businesses"

"About 20 member states have taken measures." Image
For longer term "we agreed to explore how to establish a strategic gas reserve, and to explore possibilities of joint procurement" says VDL.

"We will intensify out outreach to suppliers, also to diversify the supply we have" & "assess functioning of gas/electricity/ETS markets"
Von der Leyen addresses the elephant in the room (🇵🇱):

"I welcome that discussion. The rule of law is at the heart of our union, we all have a stake in this crucial issue. RoL ensures mutual trust, legal certainty throughout EU and equality between member states & citizens." Image
Read 5 tweets
22 Oct
Speaking after #EUCO summit, Chancellor Merkel says she and Macron met with Polish PM Morawiecki and expressed their "deep concerns" about the "downward spiral" Poland is on in the area of rule of law and undermining the European Union. Image
But Merkel adds these concerns about what EU "ever closer union" means are not unique to Poland.

"We have to have a discussion separate from this about where we see the EU going. What should be the competence of the EU, and what should remain with the nation state?"
“There might be the feeling that those who joined the EU at a later point find themselves in a position where they have to accept something that’s been there when they joined and they’re not entitled to call it into question," Merkel says.

But...
Read 5 tweets
22 Oct
One important point as #EUCO leaders debate the need for a ‘temporary’ (some suspect it will become permanent) border wall at the EU’s Eastern border with Belarus:

Any EU country is free to build a wall on their portion of EU external border. The question is who will pay for it.
As Trump found out, it’s expensive to #BuildTheWall. His was never built.

Do they work for their intended purpose? Is it worth the enormous expense, taking money away from education, infrastructure,etc?

Should all EU/US taxpayers have to pay for walls, or just the border state?
“Why should this burden [of a wall] be paid exclusively by Lithuanian taxpayers?” Austria's new chancellor Alexander Schallenberg asked today.

Austria is one of the non-border member states pushing hard for an EU external border fence/wall. Image
Read 4 tweets
22 Oct
The EU prime ministers and presidents at the #EUCO summit in Brussels will start their discussion on #migration soon.

10 countries are asking that EU funds be made available to build border fences, a controversial idea.
Entering day two of the #EUCO summit, Belgian PM @AlexanderDeCroo said EU border funds can only come with solidarity.

“For southern countries, the message is clear: consolidate your borders and we’ll support you with additional funds to protect our external borders better."
“But it can't be the goal that a small number of countries have to make all of the effort to welcome people in need," De Croo continued.

"For it to be working at the European level, everyone needs to show solidarity."
Read 5 tweets
20 Oct
Really alarming.

The contrast with countries next door which have come out of lockdown more gradually (nightclubs only reopened here in Belgium 2 weeks ago) is striking. edition.cnn.com/2021/10/20/uk/…
Even more startling in graph form.

The UK health minister is expected to make an announcement shortly.
Secretary Javid says UK gov will *not* at this time activate plan B to tighten restrictions in response to the rapidly rises cases.

He says UK can learn to live with the virus even through the anticipated difficult winter.
Read 4 tweets

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