First meeting of the European Political Community takes place in Prague

Main entrance to the Prague Castle Archive building at of July 1100.| Photo: BigStock

Leaders of the European Union and countries of the Old Continent meet in Prague, Czech Republic, to talk about security and economy next Thursday ()). Russia and Belarus are left out. With the presence of the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the European Political Community (EPC) will be inaugurated.

Between the 29 countries, 24 European presidents will be in the city, with the only absence of the Ukrainian, Volodymyr Zelensky, who will participate by video due to the Russian invasion of the country.

The war in Ukraine is pointed out by the authorities as the main reason for the creation of this group. “It is a very clear message for Moscow”, says a diplomat to the French newspaper Le Monde, without identifying himself.

Russian expansionism made Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, as well as the Baltic States, seek help from the European Union , which created the need to unite a new group to discuss peace, climate and the economy. This time, as main issues, in addition to debating the urgent energy crisis, the European authorities will have to deal with cybersecurity.

The European Political Community was suggested by French President Emmanuel Macron on May 9 at the Strasbourg Parliament. “The EU cannot be the only means of structuring the European continent,” Macron said at the time. “A new space for cooperation between democratic European nations”, defined the French president.

The new group should meet twice a year, once in an EU country and the other in a country outside the bloc. The next meeting is scheduled to take place during the European spring in Moldova.