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Politico (16 October 2026)

Zoya SHEFTALOVICH, Ben MAKUCH, Martina SAPIO and Ben MUNSTER

Divisions over energy prices and the bloc’s seven-year budget expose unhappiness over European Council president’s performance.

António Costa is supposed to be the dealmaker who brings European leaders together. Increasingly, his efforts are going unrewarded.

At a summit of the bloc’s national leaders on Thursday, Costa — who, unlike most of the EU’s current big beasts, is a Socialist — suffered his most stinging criticism since taking the role of European Council president nearly two years ago. The ire centered on his handling of unrelated negotiations over curbing energy prices and the EU’s next seven-year budget.

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