The President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, is visiting Dublin today alongside a group of senior MEPs.
President Metsola is expected to meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin and government ministers as well as President of Ireland, Catherine Connolly.
The MEPs are also due to hold meetings at the Houses of the Oireachtas, including with the Ceann Comhairle and the Cathaoirleach.
The European Parliament has equal power to ministers in passing EU law and the role of MEPs is expected to be important during Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union between July and December of this year.
“Ireland takes on the Council Presidency at a defining moment for Europe. Together, the Council and the European Parliament can turn ambition into action – delivering on competitiveness, strengthening our security, and building a long-term budget fit for a new era, while remaining true to the values that define our Union,” said Roberta Metsola ahead of the visit.
Last week, Cyprus – the current holders of the rotating presidency – presented a first draft response to the European Commission’s proposal for €2 trillion EU budget. That draft went down badly in many member states.
The European Parliament has advocated for a budget €190 billion larger than the current one. Member states, on the other hand, want to see some cuts made.
Once in the presidency chair, Ireland is expected to put forward a new draft in October.
EU officials are pushing for a deal on the budget by the end of this year. That would leave a whole year to get new rules in place before the new budget kicks in in 2028.
Ireland has chosen “competitiveness”, “EU values” and “security” as key buzzwords for its six-month term holding the rotating presidency.
Speaking ahead of the visit, the Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he expected to have wide ranging discussions with the MEPs.
“I look forward to welcoming President Metsola and the representatives of the political groupings in the European Parliament to Dublin Castle today.”
“Working closely and cooperatively with the European Parliament is essential to delivering a successful Presidency.
“I look forward to exchanging views on the EU agenda with important figures in the Parliament, especially on how to advance our priority areas of competitiveness, security and values.”
A senior European Parliament official confirmed that senior MEPs from all party groups across the political spectrum will attend the meetings in Dublin today.
Besides President Metsola, the MEPs taking part in the meetings today will be: Dutch MEP, Jeroen Lenaers, who is Vice-Chair of the centre-right Group of the European People’s Party (EPP); Spanish MEP Iratxe García, Chair of the centre-left Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D); Hungarian MEP and close ally to former Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, Kinga Gál, as First Vice-Chair of the Patriots for Europe Group (PfE); Patryk Jaki, Co-Chair of the European Conservative and Reformists Group (ECR); Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher who is First Vice-Chair of the liberal Renew Europe Group; Terry Reintke, Co-Chair of the Greens/ European Free Alliance Group; Manon Aubry, Co-Chair of The Left Group in the European Parliament, the group Sinn Fein sit in; and Stanislav Stoyanov, Co-Chair of the far right Group of European Sovereign Nations (ESN).