The UK is due to hold the 4th European Political Community summit in May, the intergovernmental forum for political and strategic discussions about the future of Europe, established in 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine. However, when Guido asked Downing Street about the event, and whether it is actually going ahead, they couldn’t confirm any details of when and where the event was being held. All they could answer was that it is “due” to be held in Spring, a three month window.
It is highly unusual to not have any plans for an event the UK is meant to be hosting in, at the latest, six months time. The last EPC took place in October in Spain, with the venue and date announced in February, eight months beforehand. The likely reason for Downing Street not confirming any details is that they are wary of fixing the timing in case of an early General Election, not committing to hosting an international event at a time that would clash with a spring election. They would need to free up civil servants’ hands for running the ship during a campaign, rather than hosting the event. Or perhaps they want to kick it down the line in which case Starmer may end up dealing with the Europeans instead. Either way, it’s telling that they won’t confirm any details, fuelling further rumours of a spring election…
