Friday

29th Mar 2024

Van Rompuy makes debut at Turkey-sceptic gathering

Herman Van Rompuy on Thursday (7 January) delivered his first official speech as president of the EU council at a party gathering of Bavarian conservatives, just days after the group caused a stir in Turkey with a paper underlining its opposition to the country's membership of the EU.

Mr Van Rompuy explained his decision to attend the conclave of the Christian-Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats, by saying that the EU "needs thriving national democracies."

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • The former Belgian premier is now the full-time president of the European council (Photo: premier.fgov.be)

"Delivering a speech at a party gathering doesn't make you a party man," the centre-right Belgian politician argued, stressing that in his new EU capacity his "only master to serve" is the collection of EU leaders. The Bavarians had simply been quicker than other political parties to invite him, he added.

The CSU party is a long-standing opponent of Turkey's full membership of the EU, with a position paper confirming its stance leaked ahead of Mr Van Rompuy's visit.

The paper, published by Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung on Tuesday, called for "an end to the painful EU accession negotiations" and replacing "Turkey's membership perspective with a privileged partnership."

Mr Van Rompuy's speech avoided touching on the Turkey issue. He mentioned enlargement, but only in regard to Croatia and other Western Balkan countries.

Turkish newspapers and politicians have decried the CSU's opposition to Ankara's EU membership bid.

Mr Van Rompuy himself in 2004 said Turkey is not a part of Europe. But since being appointed EU president he has stressed that his personal opinions are "irrelevant," as his job is to seek consensus among member states.

German foreign minister in Turkey

The CSU position paper caused problems for German foreign minister Guido Westerwelle, who embarked this week on a tour of Muslim countries.

The Liberal politician had to reassure his hosts of Germany's commitment to Turkey's EU bid, Die Welt reports.

"I have not come here as a tourist in shorts, but as foreign minister. What I say, counts," Mr Westerwelle said in Ankara, while underlining that his governing coalition, of which the CSU is also a member, had pledged not to block the negotiation process.

Meanwhile, bickering between the Bavarian conservatives and the Liberals has prompted Ms Merkel to call for a crisis meeting this Sunday and for a "fresh start" for the governing coalition.

Ukraine slams grain trade restrictions at EU summit

Restrictions on Ukrainian agricultural exports to the EU could translate into military losses in their bid to stop Russia's war, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky warned EU leaders during their summit in Brussels on Thursday.

Difficult talks ahead on financing new EU defence spending

With the war in Ukraine showing no signs of ending any time soon, EU leaders will meet in Brussels on Thursday and Friday (21 and 22 March) to discuss how to boost the defence capabilities of Ukraine and of the bloc itself.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us