Spain has accused Italy and Germany of undermining the EU's unity by excluding it from a pre-summit meeting on the bloc’s economic future.
Spain has expressed its discontent after being excluded from an informal pre-summit meeting attended by key European leaders, including Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The meeting, which was held on Thursday at the Alden Biesen castle in Belgium, involved 19 countries, but notably left Spain as the only major EU power not participating. This exclusion has raised concerns in Madrid about the implications for EU solidarity and collaboration.
Spanish government sources indicated that the aim of their complaints to Italy was not to seek an invitation but to highlight that such exclusive meetings can potentially create divisions rather than strengthen unity within the European Union. Officials argue that by conducting negotiations without all major players involved, the potential for comprehensive solutions to pressing issues facing the EU diminishes, or is pushed further out of reach.
The agenda for the meeting included discussions on the bloc’s economic future, with documentation highlighting collaboration among the attending nations. Spain's exclusion raises questions about the future of cooperative decision-making in the EU and whether such sidelining of key members is indicative of a deeper rift within the alliance regarding strategic economic discussions and policy-making.
