The star guest of the video summit this Thursday is certainly the man many EU politicians know from his time as the second man behind US President Barack Obama. Joe Biden, who has now moved up to become President himself, will be connected from Washington at 8:45 p.m. to give a speech on international cooperation with the EU towards China and Russia. He is very pleased that Biden has agreed, said the host of the EU summit, Council President Charles Michel. Most of the other heads of state and government are probably happy too.
Chancellor Angela Merkel is not assuming that the President will address the subject of “Nord Stream 2”. Like his predecessor Donald Trump, Biden rejects the second direct gas pipeline from Russia to Germany. Merkel is sticking to her despite fierce criticism from Europe. A possible dispute about it is downplayed by German government officials in the run-up to the summit.
One looks forward to the “revival of the transatlantic ties,” said the EU in Brussels. The American Secretary of State Antony Blinken had already discussed this personally with Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump, who thought the EU was superfluous, was never invited to a summit. But this honor was bestowed upon Barack Obama and his predecessor, George W. Bush.
Summit host Charles Michel (above) has everyone on his screen again (archive)
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Vaccine in short supply
A long conversation with Joe Biden is not planned. Perhaps the summit participants will ask him whether the US could not also supply vaccines to the EU. Because the supply of vaccines is actually the burning topic of the summit, which will only take place as a video switch due to the increasing number of infections in almost all of Europe. The USA, which has so far hardly exported any vaccine, will in all probability be through with vaccinating its population by May. After that, exports should actually be possible.
In the EU, vaccinations are still running too slowly, complain many heads of state and government. This is mainly due to the non-fulfillment of contracts by the AstraZeneca company, answers the EU Commission. In order to keep the vaccines that are produced in the EU here, the heads of state and government want to discuss a stricter approval procedure for exports. Sales to Great Britain, the largest recipient of exports from the EU, are to be prevented. However, some member states are skeptical about this. German government officials point out that companies like BionTech / Pfizer that fulfill their supply contracts should not be penalized by export bans. Sweden and the Netherlands also have objections. There will be questions for Italy’s Prime Minister Mario Draghi, because 29 million doses of vaccine were found on Wednesday at an Italian AstraZeneca plant, which may have been intended for export.
A surprising turnaround shortly before the summit: Merkel cancels the quiet Easter days again
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Distribution dispute in the EU
In view of the increasing corona numbers due to variants of the original virus, the EU states are relying on “vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate”, as Chancellor Merkel put it. The surprising cancellation of the Easter lockdown in Germany by Merkel on Wednesday has certainly raised questions among some colleagues. Belgium and France have just decided new restrictions over Easter. The Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz absolutely wants to talk about what he believes is the unequal distribution of vaccines among the 27 member states. Austria and four other states (Estonia, Latvia, Croatia, Bulgaria) criticize the system through which cans that these states had not initially ordered were bought up and inoculated by other member states. Indeed, the distribution is uneven. Malta already has vaccine for 33 percent of its population. Bulgaria only for just under six percent.
It was heard from German EU diplomats that they were ready to talk about other distribution procedures, even if it was the fault of the individual states if they had not used the vaccine doses offered. These gaps are also said to have arisen from inadequate deliveries by AstraZeneca. Of 130 million cans promised in the first quarter, the British-Swedish company had so far only delivered a fraction to the EU members.
Turkey: positive approaches?
In addition to Corona, the topic of Turkey is on the agenda. The EU wants to improve relations with Turkey, despite the many provocations from Ankara. According to a report by the EU foreign ministers, the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey, Cyprus and Greece are fighting over gas reserves, has calmed down recently. They want to set a “positive” agenda with Turkey. However, there are a number of violations of human rights and the rule of law in Turkey that should actually be punished. Not only human rights organizations see it that way, but also some EU states. Germany, on the other hand, advocates a cautious rapprochement. After all, they want to negotiate an extension of the 2015 “refugee deal” with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey takes back rejected asylum seekers from Greece and is allowed to send Syrian refugees to the EU. But this deal is suspended at the moment. However, the EU could agree to lure Erdogan with more money for refugee supplies and negotiations on expanding the customs union. Of the promised six billion euros, four have so far been disbursed.
Preparation of the summit: EU Council President Michel (right) during a video session with Turkish President Erdogan, (19.03.2021)
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Relations with Russia, which, according to EU Foreign Affairs Representative Josep Borrell, are “at a low point”, are only touched on briefly. A real plan for dealing with Russia, which the EU no longer wants to accept as a partner, is only to be forged at the next physical meeting of the EU heads of state and government. Maybe at the end of June, if by then the vaccinations have reversed the pandemic. In June, the plan is for US President Biden to come to Brussels personally to take part in the NATO summit.
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