António Costa’s “Tour des Capitales”

European Council President António Costa is setting out on an ambitious “Tour des Capitales” this September, crisscrossing the continent to take the political temperature in EU capitals. Over the next three weeks, Costa will meet heads of government  across the bloc, gathering their views on political priorities and preparing for a crowded autumn of European Councils and international summits.

Tour highlights

The tour began on 27 August in Brussels, where Costa sat down with Belgian Prime Minister Bart de Wever. From there, he traveled to Slovenia for the Bled Strategic Forum, delivering a keynote and holding talks with Prime Minister Robert Golob.

Next stops include Zagreb and Vienna, where Costa will meet Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker. On 4 September, he is slated for meetings in  Romania and Bulgaria before closing the week in Czechia and the Netherlands.Details for the following weeks will be announced later. 

The overarching goal is clear: to strengthen cooperation among EU states, build consensus, and keep the European Council aligned at a time of geopolitical uncertainty.

“In today’s unpredictable world,” Costa stated, “our unity is our greatest strength.”