The Irish capital is hosting the ninth meeting of the European Political Community (EPC) on Thursday, followed on Friday by the customary informal summit hosted by the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency. Discussions will cover the continent’s security, the Abu Dhabi talks on Ukraine, financial support for Kyiv and artificial intelligence, although no formal decisions are expected.
Preoccupied with delicate federal budget negotiations, which prompted him to tender his resignation to the king before being reinstated, Bart De Wever had to cancel his trip. His office confirmed to Belga that, under Benelux agreements, Frieden is representing him.
Rob Jetten’s position in the Netherlands is just as precarious. Nine months after his election, the centrist’s three-party minority government is on the brink of collapse. His coalition is deadlocked over a controversial tax reform that requires a compromise between Jetten’s D66, the liberal VVD, and the Christian Democrats of the CDA to secure a parliamentary majority. With the VVD due to decide on the alliance’s future this Thursday, the Dutch leader has been forced to remain in The Hague.
It is not unusual for leaders to be represented at European summits when faced with an urgent domestic matter.
The initial translation of this content was generated by AI. All facts, context, and language have subsequently been verified and validated by a human editorial team.
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