India is celebrating its 77th Republic Day, which is witnessing an extraordinary confluence of the 150 year old legacy of Vande Mataram. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa are attending the celebration as chief guests. The European leader is on a state visit to India from January 25 to 27 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa
President of the European Council Antonio Costa was born in 1961 in Lisbon and is a prominent Portuguese political figure, known for his commitment to dialogue, political stability and sustainable development. Interestingly, he comes from a family of Portuguese, Indian and Mozambican descent, and grew up in a multicultural environment that has shaped his political outlook based on openness, respect and international cooperation.
Antonio Costa, who graduated in law from the University of Lisbon, entered politics at an early age. He gradually gained promotion by joining the Portuguese Socialist Party and held several important positions in the Portuguese government. His career has been marked by practical governance and a deep commitment to social justice and democracy.
He became Prime Minister of Portugal in 2015, and previously held several strategic portfolios, such as Minister of Parliamentary Affairs (1997–1999), Minister of Justice (1999–2002), Member and Vice-President of the European Parliament (2004–2005), Minister of State and Minister of the Interior (2005–2007) and Mayor of Lisbon (2007–2015).
Costa held the post of Prime Minister for nine years, and under his leadership Portugal experienced stable economic growth, strong public finances, low unemployment, and increased investment in renewable energy. His leadership abilities and skills in establishing dialogue and compromise between EU member states led to his appointment as President of the European Council in December 2024.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen
Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, was born in 1958. A doctor by profession, he has dedicated the last 20 years of his life to public service. He first entered politics at the local and regional level. From 2005 to 2019, she was Federal Minister of Family and Youth Affairs in her home country of Germany, then became Minister of Labor and Defence.
She took charge of the European Commission in 2019 and was re-elected for a second term in July 2024. In this second term, she is working for a more competitive and free Europe that protects democracy, protects its people, and takes greater responsibility for its own defense and security in a changing world.
On the occasion of the 77th Republic Day, a duty path has been built stretching from Rashtrapati Bhavan to the National Battlefield.
The memorial is lavishly decorated to showcase India’s remarkable journey. The ceremony will witness an extraordinary confluence of the 150-year-old legacy of the national song Vande Mataram, the unprecedented developmental progress of the country, strong military power, vibrant cultural diversity and active participation of citizens from all walks of life.
The parade will include a European Union (EU) contingent consisting of four flag bearers riding on three gypsy carts. They will be seen carrying four flags – the flag of the European Union, which is the most distinctive symbol of the European Union; Military Staff Flag of the European Union; Flag of the Naval Force Atalanta of the European Union; And the flag of the EU Naval Force Aspides.
A total of 30 tableaux – from 17 States/UTs and 13 Ministries/Departments/Services – will participate in the parade based on the overarching theme of ‘Mantra of Freedom: Vande Mataram’ and ‘Mantra of Prosperity: Self-reliant India’. These tableaux will present a unique blend of 150 years of the national song Vande Mataram and the rapid progress made on the back of growing self-reliance in various sectors, steeped in the country’s rich and vibrant cultural diversity.
Foreign affairs expert Robinder Sachdev said the visit by European leaders is coming at an important time as the EU-India Free Trade Agreement (FTA) will be signed after almost 20 years of negotiations.
EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic on Sunday said India and the European Union (EU) are close to finalizing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations.
In a significant step towards strengthening ties between the world’s two largest democracies, the European Union (EU) and India are set to unveil a “security and defense strategic partnership” and are close to finalizing a landmark free trade agreement.
(FTA) will be discussed during the upcoming summit, an EU official confirmed.
Describing the current period as “the culmination of a significantly deepening relationship”, the official said both sides now recognize that their security and prosperity are fundamentally interlinked in the face of changing global circumstances.
A major outcome of the summit will be the signing of the Security and Defense Partnership Agreement by EU Human Rights Vice President Kaja Kallas and Defense Minister Rajnath Singh. This is the third such comprehensive agreement signed by the EU in Asia after Japan and South Korea.
EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen yesterday said Europe and India have chosen strategic partnership, dialogue and openness.
Von der Leyen said that India and Europe are developing mutual resilience. Earlier in Davos, von der Leyen said the EU is close to finalizing a free trade deal with India and said some call it the “mother of all deals”.
Addressing the World Economic Forum in Davos, he stressed Europe’s intention to expand trade and international cooperation.
He also mentioned the scale of the proposed trade agreement with India.
Von der Leyen said, “There is still a lot of work to do. But we are on the brink of a historic trade deal. Some people are calling it the biggest deal ever. It would be a deal that would create a market of 2 billion people, which would be about a quarter of global GDP.”