Ahed and von der Leyen discuss negotiations at European summit

After Trump's election on Thursday, European security became the focus of discussion among 42 heads of state and government on the European continent. Federal President Viola Ahmed used the opportunity of the European Summit to hold bilateral discussions with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

“We agree that Europe needs peace as soon as possible,” said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the end of the summit, who invited people to a meeting in Budapest. They also agreed that Europe must pay for its security and should not wait for U.S. protection.

Representatives of various countries and leaders of the European Union, NATO, the Council of Europe and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) held the fifth meeting of the European Political Community (EPG) at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. The EPG is mainly used for discussion and no formal decisions are made.

Ahmed talks about bilateral relations

“The European Commission remains interested in concluding negotiations before the end of the year,” Ahmed told Swiss reporters on Thursday after a bilateral meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Switzerland is interested in moving forward, but the results also have to be right.

“We did not negotiate, the chief negotiator did,” the federal president said. She did not elaborate on three points of contention: free movement of people, cohesion payments and the electricity agreement. She said only that the Federal Council discussed the cohesion payment mechanism on Wednesday but remained silent on specific figures.

Further bilateral meetings

She met with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte and had a “handshake,” as Amkhed put it. She met him this summer at the last summit of the European Political Community (EPG) in Bürgenstock and Blenheim, England. It's always good to keep in touch like this.

Amkhed also spoke with Cypriot President Nicos Christodoulides. It's about the conflict on the island. Amkhed said that in this context, Switzerland is ready to host the discussions. In return, the president pledged that Cyprus would support Switzerland's position in Europe during its EU Council Presidency in 2026.

The island of Cyprus has been divided for 50 years. To the south of the island is the Republic of Cyprus, a member state of the European Union, and to the north is Northern Cyprus, recognized only by Türkiye.

Trump's shadow looms over summit

The agenda includes economic security and immigration. But the election of Donald Trump in the United States has cast a shadow over the summit. Reactions to future transatlantic cooperation have varied.

Von der Leyen said: “We will cooperate with the Trump administration in a good way.” Rutte said he wanted to sit down with Trump to jointly deal with the threat. During Trump’s first term, he persuaded Europe to increase defense spending. In this he is right.

French President Macron delivered a speech at the plenary session, calling for European security to no longer be handed over to the United States. Trump will represent the interests of his people, legally. Macron believes that Europe must now prioritize defending the interests of its people.

Scholz did not attend the European summit

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz did not attend Thursday's meeting due to a government crisis in Berlin. Some here hoped that Germany could soon regain a stable political government.

“I think Germany wants to get the problem under control as quickly as possible,” Amkhed said. European Council President Charles Michel said he trusts Germany's democratic institutions. Current events are part of the political democratic debate. He is not afraid of democratic institutions.

The next meeting will be held in Albania

EPG states meet twice a year. The purpose of the merger is to bring closer exchanges between EU countries and partners outside the EU.

EPG 2022 was founded in Prague on Macron’s suggestion. Their representatives meet outside the EU during the first half of the year and in the autumn in the country that holds the EU Council Presidency. Next year, the EPG conference will be held first in Albania and subsequently in Denmark. (Standard Data Authority)

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