President Klaus Iohannis has a busy Wednesday ahead, as he will host at Cotroceni Palace the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, as well as the Prime Ministers of Hungary – Viktor Orban, Belgium – Alexander De Croo, and Croatia – Andrej Plenkovic.
The meeting with Charles Michel starts at 5:30 PM, and the three prime ministers will be subsequently received, all at once, starting at 6:30 PM, according to the agenda provided by the Presidential Administration.
Every five years, EU leaders agree on the Union's political priorities for the future, setting the EU's strategic agenda, according to the European Council.
The discussion comes before the European Parliament elections (in June) and takes place before the appointment of each European Commission.
However, for Klaus Iohannis, the stakes may be higher now, as he hopes to garner support for his candidacy for the position of NATO Secretary General, a post also sought after by Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.
The President of Romania, according to sources, has obtained support from leaders in Central and Eastern Europe, such as Slovenia's, or from Montenegro, the President of this country having visited Bucharest in March, but it is far from significant support.
However, Iohannis' entry into the race has put Rutte's candidacy into question, and the fact that EU member states near the Ukrainian war want an Eastern Alliance leader could be a message that has been assimilated at the level of major military powers.
"The consultations held in Bucharest are part of a broader process of defining the European Union's priorities for the period 2024 - 2029, initiated during the informal meeting of the European Council in Granada on October 6, 2023, when the discussions among EU member states' leaders revealed interest in placing security and defense, global involvement and EU expansion, as well as resilience and competitiveness of the Union at the forefront of the European agenda.
Based on the coordinates set in Granada, the discussions at the meeting at Cotroceni Palace will be an opportunity to delve into these elements and analyze the lines of action at the EU level towards achieving common objectives of strengthening the EU's profile internationally, ensuring prosperity, and promoting and protecting democracy and European values," specified Romanian Presidential Administration.