European Union Leaders Will Hold a Virtual Summit

A European Union spokesman said today, Sunday, that the leaders’ summit scheduled for March 25-26 in Brussels will be held via video conference due to the increase in coronavirus cases across Europe.

In a post on Twitter, Barend Leyts, spokesman for Charles Michel, President of the European Council that chairs the European Union summits, said that Michel had taken the decision to hold the conference on the next Thursday and Friday via the Internet, referring to “the escalation of Covid-19 cases in member states.”

A third wave of Covid-19 is causing an increase in daily infections due to more contagious strains that forced governments to restrict life again with the entry of Paris late last week into a four-week general isolation.

According to the draft final statement of the summit reviewed by Reuters, the leaders of the 27 member states are scheduled to discuss face-to-face how to accelerate vaccination and industrial policy for the bloc and its relations with Turkey and Russia.

Diplomats and officials say virtual meetings limit discussions and decision-making, but crucial negotiations are not expected at the summit.