LGBT rights, Russia relations and Turkey ‘aggression’: EU leaders braced for fiery summit – CGTN

European leaders are in Brussels on Thursday for what is shaping up to be a fiery two-day summit.

It’s the last scheduled heads of state gathering for outgoing Germany Chancellor Angela Merkel, who steps down in September after 16 years at the helm of Europe’s largest economy.

But the fireworks look to be reserved for Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban. 

Western member states are outraged over a new bill they say represses LGBT rights in the country and goes against European values.

There is also the contentious issue of sending billions of dollars to Turkey to keep refugees from reaching Europe. And many governments are angered by Germany and France’s last-minute shock proposal to invite Russia’s President Vladimir Putin to a summit. We have all the issues broken down below.  
 

LGBT on the menu

It’s not on the official schedule, but LGBT rights threaten to overshadow a summit that was meant to focus on Russia and Turkey.

Many heads of state are outraged over a new bill in Hungary that bans portrayals of homosexuality or of transgender people in content shown to those aged under 18. And they plan to vent their frustration to Oban during a working dinner on Thursday night. 

Many got off to an early start. Leaders of 16 countries published a joint letter ahead of the summit pledging to “continue fighting against discrimination towards the LGBT community,” a day after Brussels threatened legal action if Budapest doesn’t walk back the bill.

While the letter does not explicitly mention Hungary, it warns of “threats against fundamental rights and in particular the principle of non-discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation.”

Expect Orban to hit back. His government fired off a terse statement on Wednesday after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the bill “a shame.” The four-sentence comeback called her comments “a shame” three times and insisted the bill was not discriminatory because it only applied to minors.   
 

What will be discussed about Russia?

Russia will be a main topic of discussion, especially after Germany and France blindsided their EU allies by suggesting the bloc should resume summits with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin. 

There hasn’t been such a gathering since the Crimea crisis in 2014, but Berlin and Paris see an opening after U.S. President Joe Biden met with Putin in Geneva last week.

But it’s not exactly a detente. Merkel and Marcon’s proposal also raises the threat of new economic sanctions.

This issue could drive a wedge between West and East, with the Baltic bloc, which has long pushed for a tougher approach to Moscow, particularly angered. 

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned last week that relations with Russia face a “further downturn, despite already being at their lowest level.” 

And Turkey? 

Turkey is another main topic on the two-day agenda. Tensions have eased since last year, when leaders threatened a barrage of punitive measures over Ankara’s aggression in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

This time around, EU leaders are expected to sign off on a $4.1 billion aid package for Turkey, which is meant to help keep refugees from reaching Europe.

This is on top of the $4.8 billion Ankara has already received. The extra support could incentive Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to step up efforts to tackle the long-running disputes with Greece and Cyprus. Leaders will also discuss modernizing the EU-Turkey Customs Union.

What will leaders have to say about COVID-19? 

Leaders are expected to welcome a drop in infections across the bloc and a pick-up in vaccinations. They will also reaffirm their support for the free movement of people around the bloc, which should get easier to pull off come July 1 when the new COVID-19 Certificates officially launch. 

Germany’s Merkel could ruffle a few feathers though, after she said all travelers from the UK should be quarantined when they arrive in the EU.

Some members have granted quarantine-free entry to British travelers. But with new warnings that the Delta variant could be the dominant strain in Europe by the end of August, Merkel doesn’t want to take any chances.