EU presidency kicks off at AU: Seven hours at the heart of European politics
Research and education took a back seat for a moment when Aarhus University hosted the official handover of the presidency of the Council of the EU.
Aarhus University took centre stage on Thursday 3 July as it hosted the official inauguration event of Denmark’s presidency of the Council of the EU. The buildings around the Main Hall, Stakladen and the Conference Centre were cleared and sealed off as high-level representatives of the Danish government — led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs — arrived at the university, followed closely by 130 accredited journalists from across Europe and a heavy police presence on campus.
The day was carefully orchestrated to mark Denmark’s assumption of the presidency of the Council of the EU and to welcome 23 EU commissioners and the Danish government.
Take a look at the photos and get a sense of the atmosphere. The photos were taken by AU photographer Jens Hartmann Schmidt.
The banner symbolises that Denmark will take over the presidency of the Council of the EU from 1 July until the end of the year. The presidency rotates between the EU member states, and it has been 13 years since Denmark last held the presidency.
In the days leading up to the event, the Main Hall was cleared of rows of chairs and transformed into a space for plenary discussion.
The Solgården courtyard outside the Main Hall was the setting for the large ‘family photo’ of the commission and the government.
Flower displays helped prevent the red carpet from blowing away once the wind picked up on Ndr. Ringgade.
130 members of the press – journalists and photographers – were accredited to cover the inauguration event at Aarhus University. The Conference Centre on Fredrik Nielsens Vej was set up as a media centre from which journalists could report on the inauguration event and the press conference.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was the final Danish minister to arrive and, like all those before her, was greeted with a handshake from Rector Brian Bech Nielsen.
Receiving line in Solgården courtyard – Danish ministers greeted the president of the EU Commission along with the prime minister.
Although the event in Aarhus was a day of celebration, it took place in the shadow of war and new threats to Europe. This was evident in the speeches given by the prime minister and the president of the European Commission at the press conference.
Ringgaden was closed in both directions, providing new opportunities for live reporting from the central reservation.
The Main Hall served as the venue for a joint working lunch and plenary session for the government and the Commission. Before the meeting officially started, journalists had a chance to speak to ministers and members of the Commission, while photographers captured overhead shots of the plenary venue.
At the press conference in Stakladen, Mette Frederiksen stressed the importance of building a strong European defence. She also said how pleased she was that the President Zelenskyj had come to Aarhus. His arrival had been announced by the Prime Minister’s Office a few hours earlier.
