SIBIU: European leaders revealed a broad-brush statement of principles to guide them into the post-Brexit future on Thursday, promising a “new Union at 27 ready to embrace its future as one.”
Britain, the missing 28th EU member, has yet to complete its divorce from the bloc but the other leaders were determined that their summit in the Romanian town of Sibiu would set a five-year agenda for the future.
With European Parliamentary elections due in just over two weeks and a new EU leadership team to be named before the end of the year, the 27 leaders did not make detailed commitments.
But “The Sibiu Declaration” underlined their joint commitment that Britain’s departure would not trigger a rush for the exits.
The 10 points are:
- We will defend one Europe, from East to West, from North to South
- We will stay united, through thick and thin
- We will always look for joint solutions
- We will continue to protect our way of life, democracy and the rule of law
- We will deliver where it matters most
- We will always uphold the principle of fairness
- We will give ourselves the means to match our ambitions
- We will safeguard the future for the next generations of Europeans
- We will protect our citizens and keep them safe
- Europe will be a responsible global leader
After issuing the declaration, the leaders began talks on a second document that will not be finalised in Sibiu but will represent a more detailed strategic agenda.
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council of leaders, was also expected to lay down the procedures for choosing the next head of the EU Commission after the parliamentary vote.
Meanwhile, European Union must focus on climate, security and growth after continent-wide elections in two weeks, or fall, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday as its leaders met in Romania to chart the way forward following Brexit.
The leaders of all members except Britain meet on Europe Day in the town of Sibiu, which has German and Hungarian roots, 15 years after the EU’s expansion east finally consigned to history the Iron Curtain that had divided Europe since World War Two.
With European Parliament elections set for May 23-26, they will hammer home their goal of staying united despite the Brexit damage, as well as having a first go at assigning the bloc’s most powerful jobs later this year.
“In 15 days, some 400 million Europeans will choose between a project... to build Europe further or a project to destroy, deconstruct Europe and return to nationalism,” Macron said on arriving to the informal talks among the 27 leaders.
“We need to move faster now and with more determination on European renaissance,” he told reporters. “Climate, protection of borders and a model of growth, a social model...is what I really want for the coming years.”
France and seven other EU countries proposed getting to “net-zero greenhouse gas emissions” by 2050 for the Sibiu discussion, which is rich in symbolism but expected to produce no concrete decisions.
That partly reflects how troubled the times are for the EU.
Divided over issues ranging from migration to democratic standards, the EU is grappling with Brexit and a wave of populism, and faces external challenges from China to Russia to the United States. It is also lagging behind on issues from climate change to cyber security.
— Reuters
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