As India prepares to celebrate its 77th Republic Day on January 26, the spotlight turns to the distinguished chief guests who will grace the occasion. This year, the honor falls upon two prominent European Union leaders: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, and António Luís Santos da Costa, President of the European Council. Their official visit to India, scheduled from January 25 to 27, underscores the deepening strategic partnership between India and the European Union.
High-Level Diplomatic Engagement and Summit
The visit is structured around significant diplomatic engagements. The two EU leaders will jointly co-chair the pivotal 16th India-EU Summit, a platform designed to bolster bilateral cooperation across various sectors. On January 27, President von der Leyen is slated to hold restricted, high-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central agenda of these discussions is expected to be the long-awaited India-European Union Free Trade Agreement (FTA), a deal that has been under negotiation for years. Both leaders will also have the honor of meeting President Droupadi Murmu during their stay.
Pushing Forward the "Mother of All Deals"
The pursuit of this comprehensive trade agreement comes at a critical juncture, despite evolving global tariff policies. In a recent address at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Ursula von der Leyen herself highlighted the monumental scale of the potential pact. She stated that India and the EU are "on the cusp of a historic trade agreement" that would create a combined market of approximately 2 billion people. Remarkably, this market would account for nearly a quarter of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Von der Leyen emphatically referred to these highly anticipated negotiations as "the mother of all deals," underlining its critical importance for both economies.
The European Union currently stands as India's largest trading partner, making the successful conclusion of this FTA a top priority for both sides. After negotiations were suspended in 2013 and subsequent attempts faced hurdles, there is renewed optimism that a breakthrough is imminent. The deal is anticipated to significantly enhance economic ties, boost trade volumes, and create new opportunities for businesses and consumers in both regions.
Profile of the Chief Guest: Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician and a trained medical doctor. She assumed the presidency of the European Commission, the EU's executive branch, in December 2019. Her political career spans over 14 years in the German federal government, where she held several key ministerial portfolios. Notably, she served as the Federal Minister of Defence under Chancellor Angela Merkel from 2013 to 2019. A member of the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), she was re-elected for a second term as Commission President in July 2024.
Born in Ixelles, Brussels, Belgium, she is multilingual, having grown up speaking both German and French. Her father, Ernst Albrecht, was a prominent CEO and later a state politician in Lower Saxony, Germany. Beyond politics, von der Leyen is an accomplished equestrian. She married Heiko von der Leyen, a professor of medicine, in 1986, and they have seven children.
The presence of such high-profile EU leadership as chief guests for Republic Day 2024 not only adds diplomatic prestige to the celebrations but also signals a strong commitment from both India and the European Union to forge a stronger, more integrated economic future. All eyes will be on the outcomes of the summit and the trade talks, which could mark a new chapter in India-EU relations.
