Manfred Weber in Zagreb: EPP Priorities Are Demography and Competitiveness

Manfred Weber (BETAPHOTO/European Parliament/Alain ROLLAND)

Manfred Weber, president of the European People's Party, said on Jan. 31 that demographic challenges and opportunities to strengthen competitiveness were the leading themes of a meeting of Europe’s largest political grouping in the Croatian capital.

“Competitiveness is a priority for 2026, and not only from a technical perspective, but also competitiveness against the backdrop of the cost of living. What does that mean for citizens? We must bring European policies back into the real lives of our citizens,” Weber said after the meeting in the Westin hotel in Zagreb, at a joint closing news conference with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic.

Weber recalled that the EPP had adopted a special document on demographic change, which, he added, was a strategic issue for the European Union, home to an increasingly aging population. The EPP president also highlighted the importance of security, as Europe had reached a “historic moment.” “Whether Europe today is ready for that historic moment is the key issue,” the Hina news agency quoted Weber as saying.

Croatian Prime Minister and president of the Croatian Democratic Union, Andrej Plenkovic, said that tectonic shifts in transatlantic relations, wars, conflicts, migration and terrorism required the European Union to position itself “as quickly and as strongly as possible.” The Croatian prime minister reiterated that he supported continued dialogue with the United States regardless of recent “tensions.”