The informal EU leaders' summit was held in Belgium on February 12. Just as heads of state were preparing for formal discussions on EU economic issues, an unexpected "backroom" breakfast meeting initiated by Italy in collaboration with Germany and Belgium disrupted the schedule, not only causing significant delays in the summit agenda but also sparking a heated verbal confrontation over "who had the right to attend."

Photo from the informal EU leaders' summit, Politiko

According to a report by the U.S.-based "Politiko" website, the breakfast meeting took place at a hotel near the summit venue. Initially, it was just a private gathering of a few countries with strong stances on immigration policy, but its scale unexpectedly expanded to include 19 out of the 27 EU member states. According to three diplomats who were not invited, this "backroom gathering" caused collective anxiety among the remaining eight countries, as they feared that core decisions had already been pre-determined behind closed doors at the breakfast table.

The dissatisfaction quickly became public. According to a report by Spain's "El Mundo," Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez has formally protested to Italy over the incident. Irish Prime Minister Martin, meanwhile, made a self-deprecating comment outside the summit venue, stating that he was in a "glorious isolation." He bluntly said, "We didn't receive an invitation, and we don't understand why this 'private club' needed to hold a separate meeting."

In response to the controversy, Belgian Prime Minister De Croo tried to distance himself. He denied the existence of any opposing "backroom group," saying, "I believe everyone received an invitation. We do not want anyone to feel that a large group of countries is imposing their will on other countries like Spain. That is certainly not our intention."

What made the situation even more awkward was that the breakfast meeting delayed the arrival of the participating leaders. When European Council President Antonio Costa announced the start of the first round of discussions on economic growth, the leaders of the EU's three major economies had not yet appeared. Italian Prime Minister Meloni, German Chancellor Scholz, and French President Macron arrived late after having breakfast. A EU official told "Politiko," "Costa started the meeting on time to try to stick to the original schedule, as there was simply too much to discuss."

However, those who complained about not being invited actually missed nothing substantial. According to a diplomat who attended the meeting, the breakfast meeting had no real content, "nothing was discussed, and 19 countries gathered together, with hardly anyone getting a chance to speak." Moreover, the organizer, Italian Prime Minister Meloni, arrived only toward the end of the meeting.

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Original: toutiao.com/article/7606142694867419654/

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