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Who are Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa? Top EU leaders to be chief guests at Republic Day Parade 2026

President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa will attend the celebrations in the Indian capital. The invitation reflects the deepening partnership between India and the EU.

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Who are Ursula von der Leyen and Antonio Costa? Top EU leaders to be chief guests at Republic Day Parade 2026
Antonio Luis Santos da Costa and Ursula von der Leyen.
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India is set to celebrate its 77th Republic Day with a grand parade at the Kartavya Path in New Delhi on January 26. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invited two senior European Union (EU) leaders to be chief guests at this year's parade. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen and President of the European Council António Luís Santos da Costa will attend the celebrations in the Indian capital. The invitation reflects the deepening partnership between India and the EU even as discussions for a free trade agreement (FTA) continue.

Ursula von der Leyen

Ursula von der Leyen is a German politician who has been serving as the president of the European Commission since 2019. She is the first woman to hold the position, and is responsible for the EU's policy direction and executive functions. Previously, she had a long career in German politics, serving as a federal minister for a number of years. Ursula von der Leyen is a senior member of Germany’s Christian Democratic Union or CDU.

António Luís Santos da Costa

António Luís Santos da Costa is a Portuguese lawyer and politician who currently serves as the president of the European Council, a role he has held since December 2024. Costa is responsible for chairing EU summits and representing the bloc at the international level. Prior to this role, he had served as the prime minister of Portugal from 2015 to 2024, becoming one of the longest-serving leaders in the country.

India had adopted its Constitution on January 26, 1950, and since then, the country has celebrated Republic Day every year with a grand ceremonial parade in New Delhi. In 1955, Rajpath, which is now known as Kartavya Path, became the permanent venue for the parade. On India's first Republic Day in 1950, Indonesia's then-leader Sukarno was invited as the inaugural chief guest.

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