EU considers holding 2027 summit in Rome ahead of Italian election
The EU is considering holding a 2027 leaders' summit in Rome instead of Brussels. Moving it requires unanimous agreement among member states, and no final decision has been announced.
The European Union is considering holding a 2027 summit of its leaders in Rome rather than Brussels, according to Politico Europe. The choice would put Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the international spotlight in an election year, although no date has been set for the Italian ballot. The Italian government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why it would be unusual
Formal European Council summits, where the leaders of EU member states meet, are held in Brussels. Moving one to another city would therefore be exceptional.
Under the European Council's rules, relocating a summit requires unanimous agreement among member states at ministerial or ambassadorial level. That means a single country could block the plan. No final decision has been announced so far.
Earlier precedent
EU leaders gathered in Rome in March 2017 to mark the 60th anniversary of the treaties. That was a commemorative meeting, not a formal European Council summit. The regular summit that month took place in Brussels.
A gathering in Rome next year would therefore differ from the 2017 event: it would be a formal European Council meeting rather than a ceremonial occasion. Whether member states will agree to the move is not yet known.
