Tirana becomes something more than the capital of Albania. For a few hours, it becomes the political epicenter of a continent that is still looking for its place in an increasingly fragmented world. At the sixth summit of the European Political Community (CPE), Heads of State and Government of 47 countries – all those in Europe except Russia, Belarus and the Vatican – meet to tote a common roadmap before shared challenges that do not stop accumulating. The Ukraine War, the conflict in Gaza, economic competitiveness, energy security and youth discomfort cross in an ambitious agenda and loaded with symbolism.
The meeting, promoted by Emmanuel Macron in 2022 after the outbreak of the Russian invasion, lands for the first time in Western Balkans, a region with European aspirations, but still far from total integration. Tirana hosts this sixth edition with a deliberately flexible format: there are no joint communications or conclusions, but many bilateral meetings, thematic tables and diplomatic gestures with political load. “Developing a common vision of the future of Europe” is the official objective, but the context demands much more than statements good intentions.
From the first hour, Skanderbeg square shields with a strong police device. The choreography is repeated: family photo, plenary session, round tables. But the true content of the summit is filtered by margins. Delegations are distributed in three groups: the first addresses democratic safety and resilience, in the face of hybrid threats, foreign interference and misinformation campaigns. The second focuses on competitiveness and economic security, with the focus on innovation and energy interconnections, especially after the blackout suffered in the Iberian Peninsula on April 28. The third, broader and open, is articulated around the motto “Mobility challenges and empowerment of youth”, a tailor drawer in which it enters from migration to social inclusion.
The appointment does not intend to imitate a mini-EU, but it is not a simple informal encounter. “It is obviously a challenge, but also an opportunity,” European sources say that they underline the usefulness of the forum to “exchange policies, share good practices and strengthen ties with countries that are not part of the Union, but of the continent.” In the words of one of the diplomats that has participated in the organization, “the current geopolitical panorama complex only reinforces the need for these exchanges and dialogue between leaders.”
Zelenski, the main protagonist
Volodimir Zelenski arrives at the summit turned into one of the main protagonists of the day. The Ukrainian president seeks to strengthen European support to his country in full Russian offensive, but lands with an eye on Istanbul, where this Friday their envoys meet with Kremlin delegates to tote a possible fire. The meeting, sponsored by Türkiye and also with participation of US representatives, remains surrounded by uncertainty. There will be no photo with Putin. Nor with Trump, who has made it clear that he will not move to signs until he gathered face to face with the Russian president. Even so, the Ukrainian delegation, led by Defense Minister Rustem Umrov, goes to the Dolmabahçe Palace with the intention of opening a dialogue. “Our priority is to achieve a high fire of at least 30 days,” Zelenski said before leaving for Albania.
The Istanbul meeting, more tactical than strategic, thus becomes the silent backdrop of the summit in Tirana. The European attempts to maintain diplomatic pressure on Moscow are on the table, after several leaders recently travel to kyiv to commemorate Europe’s day and claim a high immediate fire. But in the Albanian capital they also feel leaders such as the Serbian Aleksandar Vučić or the Slovak Robert Fico, who do not hide their closeness with the Kremlin and attended the Victory Day Parade in Moscow. The unit, once again, is measured in nuances.
Sánchez moves his chips
In the midst of this crossboard, Pedro Sánchez lands with his own road map. The president of the Spanish Government participates in the table focused on competitiveness and innovation, where he insists on the need to reinforce electrical interconnections and move towards a more resilient Europe from the energy point of view. But its agenda goes far beyond economic growth. Sánchez takes advantage of the appointment to move chips in the Gaza crisis. On the margins of the summit, a meeting with several European partners – irish, Norway, Luxembourg and Slovenia – promotes with the objective of collecting support for the resolution that Spain wants to take to the UN General Assembly, in which the end of the conflict, immediate humanitarian access and the recognition of a Palestinian State are required.
All this, with the background noise of the last disagree with Israel, who summoned the Spanish ambassador to Tel Aviv after the harsh statements of Sánchez in Congress. “This Government does not trade with a genocidal state,” said the president in response to the criticism of ERC spokesman Gabriel Rufián. At the summit, Sánchez does not uncheck from his words and seeks to turn them into a diplomatic lever. The next day, he goes to the Summit of the Arab League in Baghdad, in an attempt to project Spain as a relevant actor in the resolution of the conflict.
The day closes without official communications or signed agreements. Only a joint appearance between the host, Edi Rama, and the Danish Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, who will take the witness for the next appointment in 2025. However, the real value of the summit is not in the documents that are not signed, but in the contacts that occur out of focus: bilateral meetings, strategic scores, underground messages between capitals. In a continent where foreign policy is often done with gestures, Tirana works as a soft power laboratory. Europe, once again, is tested in front of the mirror. The image is not clear yet, but everyone wants to go out in the photo.
