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EU Observer (12 February 2026)

Elena Sánchez Nicolás and Wester van Gaal

A two‑speed Europe and the so-called ‘European preference’ moved from the margins to the centre of political debate at the EU leaders’ informal retreat in Alden Biesen medieval castle in eastern Belgium on Thursday (12 February). 

“One Europe, one market, this was today the headline of the discussion, and this is our ambition,” said EU commission president Urusla von der Leyen, announcing yet another roadmap of reforms needed to boost competitiveness to be presented ahead of the next formal meeting of EU leaders in Brussels in March. 

“In 1992, we moved from a common market to the single market; now we are moving from a single market to one market,” said EU Council president António Costa, promising to finalise the process “before the end of 2027.”

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