Press conference of the Federal Chancellor after the European Council
Following the European Council, Federal Chancellor Merz praised the joint decisions on competitiveness and the reduction of bureaucracy. Other topics in Brussels were: energy prices, the situation in the Middle East and further support for Ukraine.
- Transcript of press conference
- Thursday, 19 March 2026
At the press conference after the European Council, Federal Chancellor Merz spoke about the topics and results of the talks.
Photo: Federal Government / Tobias Koch
“Europe will only be able to assert itself in this world if it becomes economically strong and capable of defending itself.” This was emphasised by Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the press conference following the European Council in Brussels.
He praised the decisions taken to improve competitiveness, strengthen the internal market and reduce bureaucracy. At the same time, he criticised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s continued blocking of further support for Ukraine from the European Union.
The most important points in brief:
Competitiveness: Federal Chancellor Merz emphasised that Europe’s competitiveness was of central importance in the face of global challenges such as the trade conflict with the USA, the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and high energy costs. Europe, he said, could “only assert itself if it becomes economically strong and capable of defending itself”.
Energy prices: Another focus of the debates was the development of fuel prices. In this context, Chancellor Merz warned against interfering in the ETS emissions trading system, which he said had been in place for 20 years and was a “market-based and technology-independent system”. He went on to say that measures for particularly affected member states needed to remain tailored, targeted and temporary. According to the Federal Chancellor, the planned alterations up to 2026 were merely readjustments.
Middle East: The European Council also addressed the situation in the Middle East. Federal Chancellor Merz referred to the joint declaration with several partner states condemning the “unjustifiable Iranian attacks on civilian targets” in the Gulf region. He said that the goal now needed to be a quick ceasefire and the start of a new order of peace, the central element of which was the security of Israel and the Gulf states.
Support for Ukraine: Finally, the European Council also discussed the 90‑billion‑euro‑ loan for Ukraine. This funding had already been unanimously approved in December of last year – including by Hungary. “Orbán has destroyed this consensus. He is thus violating one of the fundamental principles of our European co-operation”. According to Chancellor Merz, he is harming the EU’s ability to act.