Costa enters week four of his capital-hopping listening tour

European Council President António Costa is entering the fourth week of his 'Tour des Capitales', the official marathon of bilateral visits across EU capitals. According to previews published by the Council of the EU, the schedule outlines the latest leg of his ongoing tour across member states. This diplomatic ritual is designed to gather national priorities, assess domestic red lines, and test potential compromises directly with EU heads of state and government on their home turf before they gather around the summit table in Brussels.

EU summits live or die by the preparation done long before leaders land in Brussels. When 27 prime ministers and presidents sit down in the Europa building, there is rarely time to unpick complex national grievances from scratch. By traveling directly to national capitals, the Council President attempts to map out potential flashpoints and uncover where hidden flexibility lies. For citizens, this quiet diplomacy determines whether EU summits produce working compromises on major policies or descend into late-night veto battles and stalemate.

In Brussels parlance, a 'Tour des Capitales' is equal parts diplomatic reconnaissance and procedural theatre. The European Council President serves as the EU's chief referee and consensus-builder, holding an office with vast responsibility for brokering deals but no formal vote of their own. Their authority relies almost entirely on personal persuasion, careful listening, and knowing precisely what each leader needs to take home to their national press. Rolling into week four means Costa is deep in the shuttle diplomacy that keeps the European Council machinery turning, making sure that by the time draft summit conclusions hit the table, most of the arguments have already taken place elsewhere.

The findings from this fourth week of capital visits will feed directly into the preparation for upcoming European Council meetings. Following these high-level talks, national diplomats—known in the bubble as 'sherpas' for their role in guiding leaders up the policy mountain—will meet in Brussels to draft preliminary agendas and text proposals. The real measure of week four's travel schedule will become visible at the next summit, where smooth negotiations or familiar standoffs will reveal how much common ground was actually found.