The Week ahead

Ahead of the informal EU summit on 23 and 24 April, the EPP Group calls for decisive European action to protect the European Union’s security interests amid escalating tensions involving Iran in the Middle East. "The EPP Group has always been clear," said Reinhold Lopatka MEP, chair of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula. "No nuclear weapons for Iran, no closure of Hormuz, and no attacks on states in the region. Europe must speak with one voice and exert the strongest possible pressure on the Iranian regime to come back to the negotiating table to stop this war."

The EPP Group will meet Pope Leo XIV to discuss the future of Europe, the role of Christianity, and Europe’s responsibilities at a time of heightened international tension. This exchange will take place during the Group’s visit to the Vatican. On Friday, 24 April, the Municipality of Rome will host Group members for a debate with leading Church representatives on Christianity and Europe’s responsibility in the world. On Saturday morning, members will also discuss religious freedom as a pillar of Europe’s way of life before a private audience with the Holy Father later that day.

The EPP Group welcomes efforts to provide Member States with further flexibility to reduce energy prices and ensure the security of their energy supply. On Wednesday, just ahead of the informal leaders' summit in Cyprus, the European Commission will present measures to deal with this extraordinary situation. Christian Ehler MEP, EPP Group spokesman in the Parliament's Committee on Energy, says: "Europe must act now to bring energy prices down and secure supply, while building a more resilient and independent system. Member States should make wise use of the tools the European Commission will put on the table. This situation calls for a calm, coordinated and European response that benefits citizens and businesses. At the same time, the EU must take a structural approach in the long term: accelerating clean energy, strengthening European grids, and reducing dependency on foreign actors."

The EPP Group expects the upcoming informal EU summit to pave the way for unlocking EU support for Ukraine. "Our outrage is directed not only at the aggressor Vladimir Putin, but also at his well-known admirers, sycophants and war profiteers inside the EU. We expect the electorate defeat of Viktor Orbán to allow the unlocking of the urgently needed €90 billion loan for Ukraine," insists Michael Gahler MEP, EPP Group's lead MEP on Ukraine. "As Europeans, we must strengthen both Ukraine's civic resilience and defence capabilities. We must deliver more air defence systems and deep-strike capabilities to paralyse Russia's weapons production and strategic transport infrastructure. We must stop oil tankers – many sailing under flags of small island states – from passing unhindered through the Danish Straits. Our security guarantees for Ukraine must be crystal clear and take effect immediately after the state of war ends," he adds.

Ahead of the informal EU summit on 23 and 24 April, the EPP Group is calling for a 10% increase in the EU’s long-term budget (MFF) and wants a swift adoption. "We want to make the next MFF fit for the current circumstances. In today’s geopolitical climate, marked by Russia’s war in Ukraine and escalating tensions with Iran, hesitation is not an option. Europe cannot afford to be weak or fall behind economically," said Siegfried Mureșan MEP, the Parliament's co-negotiator for the 2028-2034 EU budget and vice-president of the EPP Group. The European Parliament is scheduled to vote on the next MFF during the April plenary.