Poland joined Denmark and Italy in a push at the European Council in Brussels to harden the EU line on migration. Their proposed changes to the summit conclusions would have explicitly linked irregular migration to crime rates and branded it a threat to the cohesion of European societies.
Two EU diplomats said the proposal won support from a group of about 10 countries, including Hungary. It also took indirect aim at Spain, where Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s decision to regularize some 1 million irregular migrants has sparked clashes with Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Denmark’s Mette Frederiksen.
The effort led by Meloni and Frederiksen ended in defeat. The proposed paragraphs were deleted from the final conclusions, which contained only a truncated version. French President Emmanuel Macron said the migration debate had been excessively politicized and had become a major source of division around the table.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen confirmed that the Commission would put forward an emergency response framework before the end of the year, so EU countries can respond to a sudden mass movement such as the one that caused chaos in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta over the summer.
The migration dispute unfolded during two days of tense talks in which EU leaders also clashed over climate rules, Ukraine’s long-term finances and the bloc’s nearly €2 trillion long-term budget, then delayed the main decisions. A separate push led by Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk to water down the ETS2 emissions trading scheme drew wider support than at earlier summits but was defeated by countries that back the current scheme.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who travelled to Belgium, urged European leaders to produce a financial plan or risk an unprecedented migration crisis with “20 million Ukrainians” fleeing to Europe. He said the war will cost €155 billion next year and asked for at least €70 billion more for defense, weapons and resilience. Leaders did not endorse a financing option. European Council President António Costa said they agreed that Ukraine’s additional needs in 2027 must be addressed and asked the Commission for a concrete proposal.