Europe in focus: Stocker discusses security and migration in Tirana

Europe in focus: Stocker discusses security and migration in Tirana

The sixth summit of the European Political Community (EPG) will take place on May 15, 2025 in Tirana, Albania. 47 heads of state and government from European countries are taking part in this meeting, including Austrian Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP). The EPG, which was founded in Prague in October 2022 on the initiative of French President Emmanuel Macron, has established itself as a platform to address European challenges together. Key issues on the agenda for this summit include Europe's security in the context of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, competitiveness and migration.

Council President António Costa will be present as key representatives of the European Union, while Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama will co-chair the summit. What is particularly noteworthy is that Russia and Belarus are excluded from the event, which underlines the political orientation of the EPG.

Thematic focuses and bilateral discussions

The deliberations will focus intensively on Europe's security, particularly given the ongoing challenges posed by the war in Ukraine. In addition to this central topic, competitiveness and migratory currents in Europe are also discussed. Bilateral talks are also planned for Chancellor Stocker with various heads of state, including Edi Rama (Albania), Jakov Milatović (Montenegro), Aleksandar Vučić (Serbia), Nikol Pashinjan (Armenia) and Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (Kosovo).

At the previous summit in June 2023 in Chisinau, Moldova, almost 50 heads of state and government met to form a clear front against the Russian war of aggression. On this occasion, European flags flew together with the flags of the Republic of Moldova, which is pro-European. The event was based near the Ukrainian border and reflected geopolitical tensions in the region.

Migration and asylum policy in Europe

A central issue that could also play a role at the upcoming summit is migration. The EU states are currently very divided in their reactions to migration and asylum. While southern European countries such as Greece and Italy are calling for a fairer distribution of migrants, eastern European countries such as Poland and Hungary are relying on isolation and pushbacks that violate EU law and the Geneva Refugee Convention. Pushbacks are the violent pushing back of migrants seeking protection at the EU's external borders.

The increase in migrants from Afghanistan since the Taliban came to power in the summer of 2021 has further fueled this discussion. In recent years, there has also been an increasing willingness to isolate ourselves, while at the same time the EU should focus on human rights and asylum claims. The treatment of refugees also shows unequal treatment: while Ukrainian war refugees are largely welcomed with solidarity, migrants from other crisis regions are often subjected to harsh measures.

The upcoming summit in Tirana will not only contribute to the discussion of security policy concerns, but could also provide decisive impetus for European migration policy, which should focus on both humanitarian and security policy aspects. The contrast between political positions could hardly be clearer and requires urgent solutions at European level.