BRUSSELS, February 13. /TASS/. An informal meeting of European Union member states, to which only 19 of the 27 community countries were invited, has ended in failure, the European publication Politico reported.
Originally planned on the initiative of Belgium, Germany and Italy as "a simple sit-down with like-minded countries," the meeting was reportedly supposed to take place before the main summit. Representatives of countries not invited to the meeting expressed concern that such gatherings could lead to pre-agreed decisions without the approval of all bloc members. Irish Taoiseach Micheal Martin, who said he was not invited, told journalists he did not "get the necessity of a private club convening separately."
According to Politico, out of the 19 leaders in attendance, only a few were given the opportunity to speak during the meeting. When asked by journalists what was discussed, one diplomat from a country that was in attendance, said "nothing."
Another factor "adding to the rancor" was that Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron were all running late after the informal summit, as a result of which Council President Antonio Costa began the first session on economic growth "before the three largest economies were even represented."