Costa’s Capital Tour: European Council President Completes September Diplomatic Sweep

European Council President António Costa conducted a three-day diplomatic sweep across the EU’s eastern flank in early September, issuing official press statements following individual bilateral meetings with three national leaders. The consultations began on 2 September 2026 with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, continued on 3 September with Bulgarian leader Rumen Radev, and concluded on 4 September with Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulides. Each meeting resulted in a formal declaration from President Costa, marking a coordinated round of high-level engagement.

Before 27 national leaders sit down under the TV lights in Brussels to decide European policy, the European Council President must quietly consult them one by one. In Brussels parlance, these bilateral meetings—face-to-face talks between two leaders—are where the real diplomatic plumbing happens. By taking the temperature in Zagreb, Sofia, and Nicosia, the President works out where national red lines lie and where compromises can be struck, preventing costly public standoffs when full summits convene.

In the EU Bubble, a President’s schedule is rarely just administrative calendar-filling; it is tactical ground-clearing. Navigating the priorities of Croatia, Bulgaria, and Cyprus requires balancing regional concerns with voting dynamics in the Council of the EU, where national ministers refine European laws. The official releases contained one curious clerical detail: while Rumen Radev is widely recognised as Bulgaria’s head of state, the Council’s official statement title designated him as Prime Minister. In an environment where every title is scrutinized, it stands as a mild reminder that even the most polished institutional machinery occasionally misfiles a job description.

With these initial consultations concluded, President Costa’s team will digest the feedback from Zagreb, Sofia, and Nicosia into working drafts for upcoming European Council sessions. Further bilateral rounds with other member states are expected, laying the groundwork for draft summit conclusions where every sentence will be carefully calibrated to keep all 27 capitals aligned.