European Council President António Costa touched down in Malta on Thursday as part of his sweeping Tour des Capitales, engaging in high-level talks with Prime Minister Robert Abela at Auberge de Castille.

The visit centered on forging a consensus ahead of upcoming negotiations on the European Union's next long-term budget spanning 2028 to 2034. Against the backdrop of a military parade and an official welcome by the Armed Forces of Malta, the two leaders quickly transitioned to closed-door discussions. Prime Minister Abela used the opening moments to signal a divergence from Berlin's recent push for hundreds of billions of euros in spending cuts across the bloc.

Beyond the multi-annual financial framework, the agenda tackled pressing geopolitical and structural concerns, including European defense strategies, market competitiveness, ongoing support for Ukraine, and the roadmap for EU enlargement.

Following their private working brunch, Costa departed for the remainder of a packed Thursday itinerary, which includes meetings with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid and Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro in Lisbon. The ongoing capital-to-capital tour runs through September 17, serving as a primary mechanism for the European Council president to gather national perspectives directly from member state leaders.