EPP gathering in Zagreb - more than 20 European leaders arrive

Zagreb is hosting a large international gathering of the European People's Party today and tomorrow, where the main political goals for the next year will be determined. More than 20 party leaders from the EU came to the gathering. Among them are EC President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, and prime ministers or opposition leaders from other European countries. Numerous bilateral meetings were held at the government offices before the meeting.

Reporting for Croatian Radio Television Šime Vičević said that there are indeed many topics these days. We know that the global situation is getting worse. The topics range from Ukraine to energy, through key messages related to the enlargement of the European Union, the new financial plan, and immigration. The top topic will certainly be relations between the European Union and the USA. Also, as a member of the European People's Party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) has prepared a joint statement on demographic renewal, because we know that demography is also the number one issue in many European countries.

“This is another large gathering of the European People's Party hosted by the Croatian Democratic Union. You remember, in 2019 we also had a large EPP congress here. We organized a series of events in different campaigns, hosted the entire group from the European Parliament, young people, as well as representatives of the Committee of the Regions and the European Economic and Social Committee on several occasions. The HDZ is one of the parties that, at the national level, has continuously had the highest rating within the EPP family, as well as a partnership that has been extremely respected for ten years - since we have been in government. For me personally, as the leader of the HDZ since 2016,” said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

“The meeting of the leadership of the largest European political family is a big moment for us. We chose Zagreb, we chose Croatia because this is a country where the EPP is really achieving results under the leadership of Andrej Plenković, who has been in office for almost ten years - making him the longest-serving prime minister. It enjoys strong support from citizens, which is why we trust Croatia as the host of the EPP, here in Zagreb. The EPP, as the leading pro-European force, continues to strengthen the European Union. This is precisely what we want to achieve here in Zagreb - a substantive debate on the future of Europe,” said Manfred Weber, President of the EPP.

“Europe must act decisively and confidently, this is what we will discuss today. I will try to describe the prerequisites for this, it is not satisfactory that we have too much bureaucracy, too much regulation is coming from this European Union, I would like us to develop an understanding together that this is really the task for the coming months, for the coming years, to clearly reduce it so that we can be an area of freedom. In terms of the movement of goods, money, services, capital, and above all the freedom of movement of people,” said German Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

Source: HRT