Brussels – A new chapter opens at the helm of the European Council. Today (Nov. 29) saw the official handover between the outgoing president, Charles Michel, and António Costa, the former Portuguese prime minister chosen from the member states to succeed the Belgian. The 27 were addressed by the new leader, saying that “we must not ignore our differences of opinion” because they are “the strength of the Union.” But without forgetting that “only together can we ensure peace, stability, and prosperity for our continent.”

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen and the Vice President of the European Parliament, Pina Picierno, were also present at the symbolic bell ceremony, the “sceptre” used by the President of the European Council to open and close summits with EU heads of state and government. In passing the baton to his Socialist colleague, Michel vindicated what has been achieved over the past five years: ambition on climate goals, the pandemic crisis, and the resolute response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. “The European Council,” said the Belgian liberal, “is and must be the guardian of European unity. When we are united, we are very strong and can achieve great things for the good of people.”

Costa, from former mayor of Lisbon and Lusitanian prime minister to president of the European Council, said, “There is no contradiction between these three levels.” Because,” the Socialist leader summarized, “Lisbon is my city. Portugal is my country, and Europe is our common home.” A home whose foundation must be “European values, peace and prosperity.”

In continuity with his predecessor, Costa promises not to yield a step on support for Kyiv: “Peace does not mean graveyard peace, it does not mean capitulation, and it does not have to reward the aggressor,” the newly appointed president made clear, but “it must be durable and respect international law.” A warning to those he crosses, if only for a month, to the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union: Viktor Orbán, the most outspoken advocate of the need for an immediate ceasefire in Ukraine on Putin’s terms. But also to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump: the relationship with the White House will be one of the new challenges that Costa will have to show he can handle in the coming years.

Peace must also be pursued and achieved through enlargement, which Costa called a “tool for peace and a geopolitical imperative.” Brussels and the candidate countries must “work harder and faster”. Without “artificial timelines,” but also without “undue obstacles.” Peace must finally be pursued in a multipolar world of seven continents and 193 countries to be “engaged by weaving together a global network,” Costa said. To do this, rich Europe must abandon “concepts such as Global South or Global North,” the European Council president warned again. EU external action must be guided by support for “global causes, such as fighting poverty, climate change, and safeguarding the health of our oceans.”

Costa’s first engagement will be as early as Monday, December 2, when the leader will meet von der Leyen and the President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola. Standing in for her today was Dem Pina Picierno, who, wishing the new president well, stressed that “collaboration between the different institutions that make up the European Union will be fundamental so that it becomes increasingly strong and competitive.”

Who is Antonio Costa

Socialist, 62 years old, a great passion for Benfica and an even greater one for politics. Member of Parliament, MEP, mayor, minister and prime minister: Antonio Costa is a longtime politician who, in his various capacities, has navigated the European Union far and wide. His career has made him an assiduous visitor to the EU Council in its various formats. Minister of Justice (1999-2002), Minister of Interior (2005-2007), and then prime minister (2014-2024). A stint in the Europarliament (2004-2005), of which he was vice-president. A convinced supporter of European unity, he witnessed the great enlargement of 2004.

He was not in government; he was mayor of Lisbon when his country asked for a bailout program from the EFSF rescue fund (2011) when the euro crisis reached the foothills of the Iberian Peninsula. But then, as head of government, he was called upon to handle the not-so-easy management of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. During the summer of 2017, Costa relied heavily on the EU and its civil protection service to manage the fire emergency, which, in effect, helped to give a concrete demonstration of what the European Union means. He resigned at the end of 2023 after allegations of corruption hit some of his ministers and even himself (but apparently, it was a case of homonymy). His experience leads him to enjoy the political esteem of colleagues and opponents alike.

English version by the Translation Service of Withub