Since he will be in Mayotte, devastated by the cyclone (see other news), French President Emmanuel Macron will miss the European Council meeting in Brussels on Thursday 19 December.
France will be represented by German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, with whom Mr Macron had talks on Tuesday 17 December, according to the Élysée Palace, which refers to an established practice between Paris and Berlin in the event of the absence of one of the two leaders at a European summit.
According to draft conclusions dated Tuesday, of which Agence Europe has obtained a copy, “the European Council expresses its deepest condolences and stands in solidarity with the population of Mayotte” following the devastating storms that have hit the island.
On Tuesday, France activated the EU’s civil protection mechanism. The first aid announcements could be made as early as Wednesday.
Mr Macron was due to meet Volodymyr Zelensky in Brussels on Wednesday, but his participation in the informal discussion on Ukraine organised by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte at his personal residence was not guaranteed.
See the draft conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/ev7 (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)