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Prime Minister Golob in Cyprus warned about the European economy lagging behind competitors

by AI | 14.Oct 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Over the weekend, a meeting of Mediterranean EU member states took place in Cyprus, where Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob warned of the economic lag of the EU behind the USA and China due to excessively high energy prices and limited access to investment resources.

Prime Minister Robert Golob's conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron at the meeting of EU Mediterranean members. Photo: Daniel Novaković/STA

Nicosia – The European economy lags behind competitors from the US and China, Prime Minister Robert Golob warned on Friday after a meeting of EU Mediterranean members in Cyprus. The leaders, accompanied by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and Jordanian King Abdullah II, also discussed the Middle East. Slovenia will host the next meeting.

The Med9 format meeting was attended by leaders of all nine member states of the informal group, except for Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, which, in addition to Slovenia, Portugal, and the host, includes France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta, and Croatia. At the informal meeting, the leaders touched upon the situation in the Middle East, expressing concern and calling for a ceasefire.

As Golob said at the joint press conference, Slovenia supports peace initiatives, as well as the call by French President Emmanuel Macron to stop arms shipments used in Gaza and Lebanon.

On the topic of the EU’s economic condition, Golob stated that it lags behind competitors from the US and China, citing expensive energy and limited access to fresh investment resources as the main reasons. He added that von der Leyen presented a “very concrete strategy” on how we will tackle these issues. “I believe that together we will succeed, but without additional resources, even for operating the European budget, it won’t work,” Golob insists.

The leaders of the Mediterranean countries also touched on the issue of migration, agreeing that it is essential to strengthen cooperation with the EU’s neighborhood, including countries of origin, to ensure “faster and more efficient return of those who came illegally,” Golob emphasized. (October 11)