Leaders of Mediterranean Countries Meet in Athens

Leaders of Europe’s southern countries gathered in Athens on September 9 to address austerity and migration, two of the European Union’s pressing issues. French President Francois Hollande, Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, Maltese Premier Joseph Muscat, Cypriot President Nicos Anastasiades, and Spain’s State Secretary for the European Union Fernando Eguidazu all attended the meeting.

Leaders of these countries, which have been severely affected by the financial crisis, discussed the topics of austerity and migration, which will be the key “battlefields” in the upcoming summit at Bratislava on September 16. Still facing the economic and political difficulties caused by Brexit, the European leaders “are hoping to show a united front,” Euronews reported.

According to Ekathimerini, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras called for a need to improve the current state of Europe and render it once again able to inspire its citizens. He argued that Mediterranean nations are key to the future of the European Union and assured that the “front” had no divisive intentions. French President Francois Hollande stressed the importance of cooperation, especially after the events of this summer, which inflicted a severe blow to the EU’s unity.

Despite these moves towards unity, multiple European leaders criticized the summit in Athens. German Finance Minister Wolfgang Shäuble stated that “when socialist party members leaders meet, nothing terribly intelligent comes out of it.” Manfred Weber, head of the European People’s Party, claimed that “Alexis Tsipras is once again playing the little games he knows so well.” It remains to be seen whether the  Southern European position will be taken into consideration at the upcoming summit in Bratislava.