Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, faced severe criticism during a meeting held on Thursday in Brussels. This summit was particularly noted for the failure in negotiations regarding energy prices and the upcoming seven-year budget of the European Union. Governments expected to see signs of progress on these issues over the two days, but instead faced a deadlock and increasing divisions.
Challenges in Budget Negotiations
Petrus Orpo, Prime Minister of Finland, said: "The longer the budget negotiations take, the more problems we will have. Therefore, we need to seek a solution this year. This is a major challenge." The European Union is struggling to alleviate the cost-of-living crisis and reach an agreement on the budget before next year's national elections make achieving a consensus more difficult.
At the recent summit, discussions were dominated by the second phase of the EU carbon pricing system, known as ETS2. The negotiations over this system became so complex that Costa was forced to cancel a scheduled press conference and postponed discussions until after dinner. EU diplomats noted that these negotiations had turned into a "mess."
Criticism of Costa's Leadership
Leaders from various countries criticized Costa for failing to control the negotiations. Some diplomats accused him of being unable to pursue the proposed reforms. This inability led leaders to discuss without access to reform proposals, prolonging negotiations until midnight.
Diplomats compared Costa to his predecessors, Charles Michel and Donald Tusk, stating that he performed worse than Michel at this summit. Additionally, there are concerns about neoliberalism and Costa's management of the budget negotiations. Northern EU countries worry that he may act in favor of southern countries.
As President of the European Council, Costa is expected to act as a mediator and form an agreement among 27 governments. However, some diplomats have accused him of dualism, believing that he generally leans towards southern countries.
There are still hopes for Costa's long-term success. Even some who have pointed out his failures still trust his abilities and believe he can overcome the challenges.
