🏛️ EU leaders gather at Alden Biesen to address competitiveness challenges
Oneliner
EU leaders met at Alden Biesen Castle on February 12, 2026, to discuss strategies for enhancing competitiveness against global rivals. Key topics included the 'Buy European' policy, energy costs, and regulatory simplifications. Tensions arose between France and Germany over economic strategies, particularly regarding eurobonds. Leaders emphasized the urgency of completing the single market by 2028 and reducing bureaucratic barriers. The discussions will continue at the upcoming European Council meeting in March.
Key points
- EU leaders are discussing strategies to enhance competitiveness against global rivals.
- Key proposals include 'Buy European' policies and regulatory simplifications.
- Tensions persist between France and Germany over economic strategies and eurobonds.
- Energy costs and market integration are urgent priorities for EU industry.
Links
- Il Tempo: Al vertice Ue l'asse Italia-Germania guida il rinnovamento dell'Europa
- Die Welt: «Buy European»? Berlin und Paris streiten vor EU-Gipfel
- 20minutes: « Un gars sursubventionné »… Passe d’armes entre Macron et Musk sur Starlink
- BFMTV: Malgré les divergences entre Emmanuel Macron et l'Allemagne, l'UE veut accélérer ses réformes pour lutter contre la Chine et Trump
- T-Online: «Buy European»? Berlin und Paris streiten vor EU-Gipfel
- Politico: Let Britain into EU’s ‘Made in Europe’ club, UK finance minister says
- Politico: Von der Leyen flips the blame for crippling EU economy back onto national leaders
- Politico: Von der Leyen and Merz clash over future of EU's core climate law
- Politico: The battle of Alden Biesen
- Europa Press: Sánchez apoya ante los líderes de la UE dar preferencia a productos europeos y la Europa a varias velocidades
- Le Vif: Pourquoi les eurobonds proposés par Emmanuel Macron seraient «une très bonne nouvelle pour la Belgique» (mais pas pour tous les pays européens)
- The Guardian: EU leaders to clash over 'Buy European' push at Belgium summit
- Reuters: EU leaders to brainstorm how to compete with US, China at castle 'retreat'
- Público: Guerra económica com os EUA reanima debate sobre dívida comum europeia
- Euronews: EU summit: Leaders meet to search for ways to revive stagnant economy
- Público: Líderes da UE começam a tratar a competitividade como uma crise
- Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung: Merz gegen Macron: Die EU ist keine Schuldenunion
- Il sole 24 ORE: Energia, auto, semplificazioni: l'agenda di Meloni per il vertice europeo
- RFI: Les 27 dirigeants de l'Union européenne réunis en sommet informel sur fond de stratégie économique
- Cadena SER: Desregulación, eurobonos y apostar por el sello "made in Europe": los 27 buscan la fórmula para impulsar la competitividad europea
- ANSA: Dublino sostiene la cooperazione rafforzata in Ue, 'c'è ancora da fare' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- RTBF: Pendant que l'Europe délibère, ses usines ferment - RTBF Actus
- Euronews: Newsletter: Avoiding the 'slow agony' of EU economic decline
- ANSA: Irlanda, 'Buy European preoccupa, serve equilibrio con intese commerciali' - Altre news
- BFMTV: Les Experts : Un sommet pour sauver l'industrie européenne - 12/02
- ANSA: Merz, 'quasi sempre d'accordo con Macron, avanti su competitività' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- ANSA: Metsola, 'sulla competitività serve capitale, basta parole' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- TGCOM24: Consiglio Ue dopo il prevertice Italia-Germania-Belgio | Costa: "Il 2026 sarà anno della competitività, priorità è crescita"
- RFI: La fabrique du monde - Pour le sommet informel des dirigeants européens, la France, l'Allemagne et l'Italie sur des notes dissonantes
- ANSA: I leader alla prova competitività, il debito comune spacca l'Europa - Altre news - Ansa.it
- ANSA: Belgio, 'costi energia minacciano l'industria, Ue presenti misure' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- ANSA: P. Chigi, 'pre-summit su semplificazione, energia, mercato unico' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- ANSA: EU must be concrete to start thinking big again says Meloni - Politics - Ansa.it
- BFMTV: Compétitivité: "Nous avons des économies en Europe" mais "pas assez d'outils" assure la présidente du Parlement européen
- Il sole 24 ORE: ***Vertice Ue: Merz, d'accordo con Macron su diversi temi, come quasi sempre - Il Sole 24 ORE
- RFI: Los líderes de la UE se reúnen en una cumbre informal sobre estrategia económica
- ANSA: Team Séjourné, 'sul Buy European idee errate, il mercato resta aperto' - Altre news - Ansa.it
- BFMTV: "N'envoyez pas votre argent à l'Ukraine": Viktor Orban charge Bruxelles qu'il accuse de vouloir dans son pays "un gouvernement qui enverra les soldats hongrois à la guerre"
- Deutsche Welle: "Made in Europe": UE vs. la presión de Rusia, China y Trump
- Die Welt: Verteidigung: Deutsche dürfen "nicht länger die finanzpolitischen Taliban in Europa spielen", sagt Gabriel - WELT
- Tagesschau (ARD): tagesschau
- Deutsche Welle: Meloni: nueva relación Italia-Alemania "no es contra nadie"
- BFMTV: Divergences franco-allemandes: le Premier ministre belge assure qu'il est nécessaire d'arriver à "des compromis"
- Público: Sánchez defenderá en la cumbre de líderes europeos una UE a dos velocidades para fortalecer el proceso de integración
- Europa Press: Una veintena de líderes UE, sin Sánchez, coordinan medidas para reforzar la competitividad antes de la cumbre informal
- T-Online: Merz und Macron: Bei Schulden hört die Freundschaft auf
- BFMTV: Emmanuel Macron a un soutien de taille outre-Rhin: le patron de la banque centrale allemande prend le chancelier Merz à contre-pied et plaide lui aussi pour lever plus de dette commune
- Agenzia Giornalistica Italia (AGI): Vertice nelle Fiandre, l'Europa cerca il rilancio
- Deutsche Welle: Dissensions franco‑allemandes avant le sommet européen
- Politico: Swedish deputy PM: European leaders must ‘toughen up,’ stop waiting for Brussels, US
- Il sole 24 ORE: ***Vertice Ue: Draghi, contesto economico peggiorato, urgente agire - Il Sole 24 ORE
- ANSA: Ad Alden Biesen terminata la sessione sulla competitività, Draghi: 'L'economia peggiora, è urgente agire' - Notizie - Ansa.it
- Corriere della Sera: Draghi, l'allarme al vertice Ue: "L'economia peggiora, è urgente agire"
Facts
- The summit took place on February 12, 2026, at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium.
- Key proposals included 'Buy European' policies and regulatory simplifications.
- The goal is to complete the fragmented single market by 2028.
- Energy costs are a major concern for European industries.
Quotes
- We must also look at the national level … the extra layers of national legislation that just make businesses’ lives harder — Ursula von der Leyen
- The economy is worsening, urgent action is needed — Mario Draghi
- Competitiveness should be on the agenda of every EU summit — Bart De Wever
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