Brussels, February 12, 2026 – A clash over economic leadership in the European Union derailed an informal competitiveness meeting held at Alden Biesen Castle in Belgium, leaving leaders scrambling for unity. A preliminary meeting organized by Germany, Italy, and Belgium—with its own agenda for boosting EU competitiveness—overshadowed the larger summit, which also experienced “logistical chaos,” including frequent Wi-Fi outages. The pre-meeting, attended by 19 nations, quickly devolved into an open conflict between Spain and Italy. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez refrained from making statements upon arrival or holding a traditional press conference at the summit’s conclusion.

A Divided Front on Competitiveness

The informal gathering exposed deep fissures among EU members regarding the path to greater economic strength.

Within the European Council, the pre-meeting convened by Germany, Italy, and Belgium was poorly received. European institutions understood that a preliminary meeting excluding all countries and the EU itself wasn’t the appropriate venue for consensus-building, especially given the divergent positions of key nations like Germany and France.

The aim of this informal summit was to project a unified message regarding Europe’s position, but it only partially succeeded. Both the European Council and the Commission attempted to downplay the meeting of the 27 leaders, assuring that constructive conversations about unity were held and would be reflected in an official summit scheduled for March.

  • European Council President Antonio Costa emphasized that “the path has been cleared to agree on concrete actions” at the March Council meeting.
  • Key areas of focus include regulatory simplification and transitioning to “a single market for Europe.”

European Council President Antonio Costa insisted at the summit’s close that “the path has been cleared to agree on concrete actions” at the March European Council, including an “ambitious agenda of simplification” and a move “from an incomplete single market to ‘a market for Europe.’” He also highlighted the continued push for the energy transition as “the best long-term strategy for Europe to achieve strategic autonomy and reduce prices.”

“We will transform the results of today’s debate into concrete commitments at the March European Council. Afterwards, we will focus on execution. And let me be clear: in 2026, Europe will deliver. We did so on defense last year; we will do so on competitiveness this year,” Costa concluded, attempting to salvage some value from Thursday’s meeting.

Spain and Italy Clash Over Meeting Format

However, the summit was marred by the conflict between Italy and Spain. Sources close to the Spanish government confirmed they hadn’t been invited and conveyed to Italy that the pre-summit meeting undermined the basic principles of the EU and hindered, rather than facilitated, solutions. The Italian government responded that Prime Minister Sánchez and Giorgia Meloni had an opportunity to exchange views on the sidelines of the informal EU leaders’ meeting, but during the conversation, Sánchez raised no concerns regarding his lack of invitation to the coordination meeting held before proceedings began at Alden Biesen Castle.

This isn’t the first dispute between the leaders of Spain and Italy. Earlier in 2024, both governments clashed over Italy’s proposal to establish deportation centers in third countries to manage migration policy.

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever later added to the confusion, asserting that “all countries were invited. Some decided to respond to the invitations, others did not. But I don’t think Spain was excluded. Normally, these informal meetings bring together a few countries. This time there were 19. It was a bit excessive; it seemed like a pre-meeting. That’s not very elegant towards the others, but everyone was aware. We didn’t intend to organize a pre-meeting, and we don’t want to give the perception that a large group of countries wants to impose its will on others, like Spain. That’s not the intention.”

However, that perception remains. To avoid such situations in the future, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and French President Emmanuel Macron walked side-by-side into the castle and made statements about the unity of European countries in the face of the competitiveness challenge.

“I am glad that Emmanuel Macron and I—as is almost always the case—agree. I am confident that today we are taking a step forward, without making decisions, but preparing them,” Merz stated. Meanwhile, Meloni insisted, referring to France, that while “strengthening bilateral cooperation” with Germany, “this is not something we are doing against anyone else, no one is being excluded.” However, Spain’s non-participation in the pre-meeting was evident.

Italy and Germany are leading a bloc within the EU to channel the path toward greater EU competitiveness, with particular attention to jointly advocating for deregulation and simplifying regulations affecting businesses and economic sectors.

The informal summit included former European Central Bank President and former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, as well as Enrico Letta, the former Italian Prime Minister and author of the report on the future of the Single Market. Both former politicians exchanged views with leaders on the EU’s economic situation and the need for continued reform to compete with the United States and China.

“The fundamental point is that we have to move from 27 to 1, truly integrate the Single Market,” Letta declared, emphasizing that without an “energy union” and “strong integration of financial markets, it will be impossible to be sufficiently competitive.”

Draghi reiterated the need to facilitate investment, reduce barriers in the Single Market, and lower energy costs, essentially recalling the measures he outlined in his report, of which only 11 percent have been implemented.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that time is running out and that reforms will continue, even through the enhanced cooperation mechanism, which allows nine countries to move forward with measures that are subsequently adopted by the remaining countries. The health of the European Union will be assessed at the official summit in March.