Twenty-two European and international summits in Costa’s first year in Brussels

The President of the European Council, António Costa, presided over 22 European and international summits in his first 12 months in office and aims, in this role, to “actively engage with partners from around the world” to promote peace.
The assessment was released by the European Council, the institution that brings together the heads of government and state of the European Union (EU) to define community political guidelines and priorities, and which has been led by the former Portuguese Prime Minister for a year, today marked.
“In his role as President of the European Council, António Costa actively engages with partners from around the world to promote peace, security, and a fair and rules-based international order,” the organization indicates in a statement.
According to the European Council, in this leadership role, “António Costa has strengthened the EU’s engagement with essential international partners” as “since December 2024, he has co-chaired a total of 11 summits and leaders’ meetings with countries and organizations representing more than 60% of the United Nations family.”
The President of the European Council externally represents the EU on foreign policy and security issues at the level of heads of government and state, including at international meetings and other forums.
“In a rapidly changing and increasingly polarized geopolitical landscape, the EU’s goal is to strengthen cooperation to promote global prosperity, peace, and security, and to reinforce the global multilateral order,” the institution points out.
The list of multilateral and bilateral summits includes the EU summit with the African Union last week, as well as the G20 summit and the EU-South Africa leaders’ summit, also in November, among others.
At the community level alone, António Costa presided over 11 meetings in these 12 months, including ordinary European summits (December, March, June, and October), as well as informal meetings or video conferences or Tripartite Social Summits.
One of the informal meetings concerned, last February, a retreat of EU leaders focused on defense, an initiative created by the President of the European Council to promote more candid discussions on European priorities.
For February of next year, a retreat of European leaders on community economic competitiveness is planned.
After nearly a decade as Portuguese Prime Minister, on December 1, 2024, António Costa began his two-and-a-half-year term at the head of the European Council, being the first socialist and the first Portuguese in this position.
The first year of António Costa was marked by a leadership style focused on dialogue and the defense of the fundamental values of the European Union, but also on greater efficiency in working methods.
From the outset, the official defined as priorities the unity among member states, the strengthening of the EU’s geopolitical role, and the defense of an international order based on multilateralism.
At the transition ceremony, he emphasized that the preservation of democracy, human rights, peace, and the rule of law would be the guiding thread of his presidency.
Throughout the first months, António Costa sought to consolidate his relationship with European leaders and strengthen institutional coordination, having already visited the countries (some twice) to identify national sensitivities and prepare consensuses.
In Brussels, there is a perception that his presidency focuses on building bridges and political rapprochement, avoiding imposed decisions.
In the coming months, he will need to solidify this bridging role among EU leaders in decisive discussions such as financial support for Ukraine or the next long-term European budget.