- Title: Finnish PM meets EU leaders on sidelines of EPP summit
- Date: 7th November 2018
- Summary: HELSINKI, FINLAND (NOVEMBER 7, 2018) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** FINNISH PRIME MINISTER JUHA SIPILA WAITING OUTSIDE HIS OFFICIAL RESIDENCE HUNGARIAN PRIME MINISTER VIKTOR ORBAN GETTING OUT OF CAR, SHAKING HANDS WITH SIPILA SIPILA AND ORBAN SHAKING HANDS, TALKING AND ENTERING BUILDING EXTERIOR OF FINNISH PRIME MINISTER JUHA SIPILA'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR SEBASTIAN KURZ GETTING OUT OF CAR, GREETED BY SIPILA SIPILA AND KURZ TALKING AND SHAKING HANDS SIPILA AND KURZ ENTERING BUILDING HELSINKI, FINLAND (NOVEMBER 7, 2018) (REUTERS) SIPILA AND KURZ ENTERING ROOM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE CAMERA OPERATOR FILMING (SOUNDBITE) (German) AUSTRIAN CHANCELLOR, SEBASTIAN KURZ, SAYING: "The fundamental values that make us what we are in Europe must be sacred and we must protect them in all (EU) member states, whatever the party the government leader belongs to, whether that is in Hungary, Romania, Poland, Malta, Greece, Italy, or other countries. It is necessary that fundamental rules and values are stuck to - such as the rule of law and democracy and also as mentioned previously, the Dublin agreement, Maastricht criteria and many other things." NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS JOURNALIST TYPING ON LAPTOP KURZ AND SIPILA LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE ROOM SIPILA AND EUROPEAN UNION'S CHIEF BREXIT NEGOTIATOR, MICHEL BARNIER, ENTERING ROOM FOR NEWS CONFERENCE MAN TYPING ON PHONE, LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION'S CHIEF BREXIT NEGOTIATOR, MICHEL BARNIER, SAYING: "But to be frank, we are not there yet, the clock is still ticking and choices need to be now made on the UK side in particular. Thank you for your attention." JOURNALIST TYPING ON LAPTOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) EUROPEAN UNION'S CHIEF BREXIT NEGOTIATOR, MICHEL BARNIER, SAYING: "There are still important issues outstanding and to be clear and to be frank, it is my responsibility to say that the quality, the sustainability, the credibility for Ireland and Northern Ireland is a priority." JOURNALIST'S HANDS TYPING ON LAPTOP KEYBOARD NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS SIPILA AND BARNIER TALKING AT END OF NEWS CONFERENCE SIPILA AND BARNIER LAUGHING WITH JOURNALISTS HELSINKI, FINLAND (NOVEMBER 7, 2018) (REUTERS) (NIGHT SHOTS) EXTERIOR OF FINNISH PRIME MINISTER JUHA SIPILA'S OFFICIAL RESIDENCE
- Embargoed: 21st November 2018 18:04
- Keywords: EPP Conservatives Viktor Orban Michel Barnier Brexit Sebastian Kurz Juha Sipila
- Location: HELSINKI, FINLAND
- City: HELSINKI, FINLAND
- Country: Finland
- Topics: European Union,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA00195IBIH3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila on Wednesday (November 7) held talks with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, Hungary's Viktor Orban and Austria's Sebastian Kurz on the sidelines of the European People's Party's annual congress in Helsinki.
The leaders are in the Finnish capital for the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) congress at which it will elect its new head.
On Wednesday, the congress used a special resolution to warn Orban of the risks of expulsion for his right-wing Fidesz party, which is part of the group, without changes. Although there was no direct mention of Hungary, senior EPP officials said the resolution was a direct message to Orban and his party, which allowed it to pass at the congress.
The congress will be focusing on preparations for the 2019 European elections, and the vote for the EPP's lead candidate - the so called Spitzenkandidat - will take place on Thursday (November 8).
The winner will instantly become favourite to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission, the EU's most powerful job.
Alexander Stubb, who was Finland's prime minister and then finance minister before being ditched by his own party in 2016, is the only declared rival to the frontrunner, Germany's more conservative Manfred Weber. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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