The European Union and the United Kingdom are "re-evaluating" whether to hold the bilateral summit scheduled for July 22 in Brussels, after British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced his resignation this Monday.
"With the President of the Council (of the European Council, António) Costa, and the United Kingdom, we are re-evaluating the advisability of holding the summit as announced last week," confirmed the European Commission's chief spokesperson, Paula Pinho, at a press conference in Brussels when asked about the impact of the change in the British government.
Starmer and Costa had announced last week, after meeting on the sidelines of the G7 summit in France, their intention to hold what would be the second major meeting between the EU and the United Kingdom since Brexit on July 22, with the aim of reviewing progress in the normalization of bilateral relations after Britain's exit from the bloc.
In parallel, the signing of the Gibraltar Agreement between the EU and the United Kingdom, which Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs sources had placed on July 13, remains to be finalized in the coming weeks, so that it could be ratified in time for its provisional application on July 15.
Costa and Von der Leyen praise Starmer
The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has described the British Prime Minister as a "statesman" thanks to whom European security is "stronger," in a message released shortly after the premier made his resignation public.
"It takes many leaders years to grow into the statesman you have become in just two years," Von der Leyen wrote in her brief message shared on social media.
The German conservative leader also emphasized that "European and Ukrainian security are stronger" due to the role played by the Labour leader at the head of the London Executive.
The President of the Commission concluded her message with a "thank you, dear Keir," a gesture that reflects the rapprochement Starmer promoted during his term to consolidate the normalization of ties between the United Kingdom and the European Union after Brexit.
Costa also used social media to send a message of recognition to the premier, whom he defined as a "partner and friend" and highlighted that with him they were able to "turn the page in EU-UK relations."
At the same time, the President of the European Council has made it clear that the EU remains "committed to continuing to cooperate in the same spirit" with the United Kingdom in the future.