Everything is being readied for the new conservative-led government to take office in Berlin, with final coalition approvals from the centre-right CDU and centre-left SPD expected this week — paving the way for Friedrich Merz to become German chancellor on 6 May amid a big fiscal bang and trade tensions with the US and China.
At the same time, fellow German Manfred Weber is expected to be re-elected as president of the European People’s Party (EPP) during the party's congress held in Valencia, Spain, on Tuesday (29 April) and Wednesday (30 April), co-hosted by Spain’s centre-right Partido Popular (PP). EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen will attend and deliver a speech on Tuesday.
Weber, a German MEP who tried (and failed) to become president of the EU Commission and the EU Parliament, managed to grab power and climb the political ladder within the EPP — the biggest party in the European Parliament.
However, the choice of Valencia as the venue for the congress has raised eyebrows due to the city's recent history. In October last year, Valencia experienced devastating flash floods that resulted in over 220 deaths and left nearly 80 people missing. The regional government's response, led by Carlos Mazón of the conservative PP, faced severe criticism for delayed emergency alerts and inadequate preparedness. Thousands in mass protests have demanded Mazón's resignation — while the finger-pointing continues between the regional government and the capital, Madrid.
Given the controversy, initially there were considerations to relocate the congress to avoid potential political fallout, but logistical constraints made a last-minute change not possible.
In Warsaw, EU environment ministers will hold informal talks to discuss how to tackle climate-related disinformation and climate adaptation on Monday (28 April) and Tuesday.
Also on Monday and Tuesday, the foreign affairs ministers of BRICS countries are expected to meet in Rio de Janeiro, under Brazil's 2025 chairmanship, with Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov expected to attend.
Discussions will focus on exploring alternative payment systems to enhance intra-BRICS trade, reducing reliance on the US dollar and reforming multilateral institutions like the UN and World Trade Organization to better represent the Global South.
Ukraine is expected to be the 'elephant in the room' at the BRICS meeting in Rio, following a week of intense US-Russia negotiations over a proposed peace plan that has drawn widespread criticism for undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty.
The US plan reportedly allows Russia to retain control over Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine, freezes current front lines, and requires Ukraine to abandon Nato membership aspirations. In exchange, Ukraine would receive vague security guarantees and limited support.
In New York, the UN Security Council will also discuss the Middle East and Ukraine on Tuesday.
Also this week marks the deadline for countries to express interest in joining the so-called “Kallas’ plan”. Named after the proposal of EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas to create a new voluntary scheme of military aid for Ukraine, it aims to spend €5bn on two million rounds of large-calibre artillery ammunition this year. The format, based on voluntary contributions of member states, is designed to avoid Hungary’s veto power.
Meanwhile, the European Central Bank vice-president, Luis De Guindos, will address MEPs in the economic committee to discuss the 2024 bank’s annual report on Monday.
On the same day, EU commissioner for competition and the green deal, Teresa Ribera, will appear in the parliament’s internal market committee. Lawmakers will also discuss the so-called green claims directive and the enforcement of new legislation governing AI systems.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.
Elena is EUobserver's editor-in-chief. She is from Spain and has studied journalism and new media in Spanish and Belgian universities. Previously she worked on European affairs at VoteWatch Europe and the Spanish news agency EFE.