(L-R) Malta's Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Italy's Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, France's President Francois Hollande, Greece's Prime Miniser Alexis Tsipras, Cyprus' President Nicos Anastasiades, Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa and Spain's State Secretary for European Union (EU) Fernando Eguidazu pose for a photo during the EU MED Mediterranean Economies Summit in Athens on September 9, 2016. Southern EU leaders on September 9 sought to close ranks on migration, extremism and austerity with the bloc's future on the line, and ahead of a showdown with hardliners next week. Bringing together the members worst hit by the EU's twin recession and refugee crises, the mini-summit will focus on "protecting borders, fostering growth, fighting against immigration... and acting together against terrorism," French President Francois Hollande said at the meeting's start. / AFP PHOTO / ARIS MESSINISARIS MESSINIS/AFP/Getty Images