Leaders line up in the Alhambra

Many tourists and residents alike in Granada have been forced to change their plans on Thursday and Friday this week as a major meeting of European leaders takes place in the Andalusian city. It is Spain’s turn to be president of the European Union until the end of the year and acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez and his ministers have been hosting the third meeting of the European Political Community (EPC).

The EPC is a gathering of European leaders that first met in Prague in 2022 after French President Emmanuel Macron pushed for a looser political forum to discuss the continent’s future after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

President Zelensky of Ukraine has been in attendance in Granada as have other invited non-EU leaders including British prime minister Rishi Sunak.

A security ring had closed off traffic around the Alhambra Palace, where a reception with the King and Queen took place on Thursday evening, and the city’s conference centre, where the main meetings were taking place on Thursday and Friday.

Some 5,500 security personnel are involved. The majority, around 3,600, come from the National Police while the Guardia Civil have supplied 1,400 officers. The remainder are members of the Local Police forces of Granada and Armilla, as well as personnel from Civil Protection and 112 Andalucía.

President Zelensky called at the meeting on countries to remain “united” in the face of Russian actions, adding that “any weapon” would be used to destabilise Europe.