Portuguese Antonio Costa is 1 of the most powerful people in Brussels. As Head of the European Council, he chairs EU summits. Last week, he visited Berlin, where he met with the outgoing German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. A minute later, he sat in the conference area of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation to give an interview to Welt. Costa is simply a friendly and witty man who seems to be designed to find compromises erstwhile in the mediate of the night quarrels break out at a gathering of 27 Heads of State and Government.
Die Welt: At the last EU summit in early March, you and the Heads of State and Government decided to arm Europe. How is this to be financed?
Antonio Costa: We propose 3 things. Firstly, to alleviate European debt rules so that governments can spend more money on arms without fear of Brussels' punishment. Secondly, more flexible usage of existing funds, including the Cohesion Fund (which is actually intended for poorer regions of the continent). Finally, we are examining the European Commission's thought of borrowing of EUR 150 billion (about PLN 627 billion).
But is that enough? Or is it that Europe now needs to take a large-scale debt together, as it erstwhile did during the coronavirus pandemic?
Within a fewer days, the Commission will propose further comprehensive solutions for financing our defence. And then we will gotta have a debate on this among Heads of State and Government.
Does ‘complementary solutions’ mean common debt?
"Complete solutions" can mean many things.
Where should we buy fresh rockets, drones, and grenades — only in Europe or in the United States?
In the short term, we gotta buy where the weapons we request are available. For example, in Europe, America, South Korea or Japan. In the long term, however, our investments should be more targeted at the national defence industry. This would be good for our safety and society. Finally, all this capital should besides make jobs and influence innovation. I would like to emphasise this: we must take greater work for our own defence, but that does not mean that we want to break our ties with the United States. We should work with the US in a better and more balanced way. And that's what we do. America remains an ally and a friend of the EU.
But can America inactive be trusted under Donald Trump? The Germans ordered F-35 fighters. And now there are concerns that the U.S. government can remotely make them useless, for example by stopping software updates.
I don't think president Trump will do anything that would make it harder to sale American products. He wants European governments to buy more weapons from America.
Die Weltpresident of the European Council Antonio Costa
Let's talk about Ukraine. Europe seems to have been left out in peace negotiations. How do you justice Trump's approach?
The EU has supported Ukraine since the first day of the war. And we will proceed to support this country. Our goal is to aid Ukraine accomplish a comprehensive, just and lasting peace. If the current bilateral talks between America and Ukraine or between America and Russia are the first step in this direction — wonderful. And then we gotta take further steps.
At the EU Summit in early March Hungary refused to give Ukraine fresh support. The remaining 26 Heads of State and Government adopted the appropriate declaration without Viktor Orban. Europe has not presented a coherent image there.
It is awesome that in the community of 27 countries with many different political orientations, worldviews and cultures we mostly accomplish unanimity. But sometimes it just doesn't work out. I think at the last summit we found a good way to deal with it and respect everyone. Hungary did not block the decision — and we respected the country’s separate position. The defence conclusions were adopted unanimously and those concerning Ukraine by 26 countries.
Recently Trump expelled Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenski from the White House. He then stopped arms shipments to this country and withdrew intelligence. After all, only 26 EU countries side with Kiev. Isn't that a sign of weakness?
Perhaps we should not always say that only the 26 EU associate States have been able to scope a common position. It is actual that almost all European countries are behind Ukraine and will proceed to do so. Just due to the fact that Prime Minister Orban disagrees does not mean that Europe is divided on Ukraine. It is Hungary that is isolated. We will proceed to search consensus between all associate States. But if that is not possible, we will find another solutions — as we did at our summit in early March — to keep our ability to act.
You are presently in Berlin and are besides active in German politics. What are your expectations of the likely fresh Chancellor Friedrich Merz?
I met with Friedrich Merze twice and we had very good conversations. I am certain that Germany will stay a central and constructive partner in the EU.
