Top meeting: So was Merz ‘first EU summit

Russia sanctions, Gaza War, customs dispute with the USA: Chancellor Friedrich Merz negotiated with the bosses of the 26 other member states in windowless rooms for almost exactly 16 hours at his EU summit premiere. In the end he could still say: “I felt very comfortable here.” It was a “fruitful, very constructive and also very collegial atmosphere”, in which it “never got bored somewhere today”.

For Merz, the summit meant the return to the place where he started his political career from 1989 to 1994 as a member of the European Parliament. Now he wants to put Germany back into a real leadership role in the EU. He wanted to make his personal contribution to the next few years, “he said.

At his first summit, however, the success was still very narrow.

No agreement with the collaboration with Israel

Merz and the other heads of state and government were unable to achieve with a view to further cooperation with Israel. In the final declaration on the topic, only an internal test report from the EU was noted, according to that Israel violated the EU with his approach in the Gaza Strip for a close cooperation with the EU. The consultations are to be continued “about suitable follow -up measures in July 2025, taking into account the development of the situation on site”, according to the paper.

Several EU governments had previously called for a harder approach to Israel due to the test report result. Spain, for example, wants to suspend the partnership agreement, which has been valid since 2000. However, it would need unanimity. Economic sanctions or a blockade of Israel’s access to the EU research promotion program Horizon are also in the room.

Chancellor Merz strictly rejects the consequences required by Spain and other countries. “An outstanding law or even termination of this agreement is out of the question with the federal government,” he said last.

Slovakia blocks plans for new Russia sanctions

There was also a disappointment at the summit on the subject of Russia sanctions. Chancellor Merz and numerous other heads of state and government had hoped that they could achieve a political principle for a new package. However, Prime Minister Robert Fico announced that it would be voted on the punitive measures this Friday as planned.

Fico wants to force the procedure to compensate for his country if a plan of the EU Commission should lead to economic damage in Slovakia for a complete import stop of Russian gas. Fico cannot block this plan because, in contrast to the sanction package, it can also be decided against the will of Slovakia by majority.

No progress for Ukraine

Because of Hungary, the EU summit was unable to take any common decisions to support Ukraine for the third time in a row. For the country attacked by Russia, this means above all that it cannot hope for quick progress in the EU accession process. For Ukraine, only a weak consolation should be that all other summit participants paid tribute to their pace in the case of accession -related reforms and which have already been achieved as significant.

Among other things, Hungary refuses to join Ukraine because it fears that the EU could also get into a war with Russia. After all, Hungary assured that the upcoming extension of the existing economic sanctions against Russia in July did not ensure.

Mercosur agreement soon in dry cloths?

For Merz, in addition to a good integration into the entire group of EU tips, the wire to the French President Emmanuel Macron should be particularly important. After his predecessor Olaf Scholz never found him, Merz wants a “restart” in Franco-German relationships.

However, the two don’t always seem to be the same. While the German Chancellor expects the trade agreement between the EU and the South American Mercosur states quickly, the French President clearly said after the summit that France could not support it in its current form.

Is there a deal with the USA soon?

During the EU summit, a new US offer was received in Brussels for an agreement in the customs dispute. Is it acceptable? The EU Commission responsible for the negotiations did not want to publicly comment on the content and assessment of the text. However, after the consultations, Merz made it clear that he would like to close the sack quickly.

“Better and easy now than slowly and highly complicated,” he said in a press conference. The tariffs introduced by US President Donald Trump endangered German companies. A solution is particularly needed for the automotive industry, the chemical industry, the pharmaceutical industry, mechanical engineering and steel and aluminum industry.

Against the background, Merz said that US President Donald Trump wants to enter into force even more tariffs from July 9th if the EU does not accommodate the United States on trade issues. The Republican justifies his course with the fact that he wants to correct alleged trade weights.

After all, the heads of state and government agreed that the people in Bulgaria should soon pay with the euro: they were behind the proposal of the EU Commission, which allowed the introduction of the community currency in the Balkans on January 1, 2026. Before that, the EU finance ministers had already done this, which now have to formally agree again. Bulgaria has been a member of the European Union since 2007 and would be the 21st country with the community currency. It is one of the poorer EU countries.