More than 20 European political leaders and senior European Union officials are arriving in Zagreb this weekend for a two-day informal gathering of the European People’s Party (EPP), hosted by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, government officials said.
The “EPP Leaders’ Retreat” is taking place on Friday and Saturday at the Westin Hotel in Croatia’s capital. It will bring together heads of state and government, party leaders and senior EU officials to discuss pressing challenges facing the continent, including Europe’s role in the world and transatlantic relations.
Among those expected are European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, for whom the visit marks his first to Croatia. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, recently re-appointed to his post, will also attend.
Plenković said he will hold a number of bilateral meetings with visiting leaders on political, economic and security issues, as well as transatlantic ties amid recent tensions with U.S. President Donald Trump.
The closed-door discussions are expected to address global and geopolitical challenges, demographic renewal in Europe and the future priorities of the centre-right political family. The EPP typically holds an annual summit to allow leaders from its member parties to engage in candid exchanges.
The event is closed to media coverage until a joint press briefing by Plenković and EPP President Manfred Weber on Saturday. It will be formally opened on Friday by Plenković, Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković and Cyprus’s President Nikos Christodoulides, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the EU.