French President Francois Hollande (R) and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) walk outside the Stavros Niarhos Foundation Cultural Centre, on the sidelines of the EU MED Mediterranean Economies Summit in Athens on September 9, 2016. Southern EU leaders on September 9, 2016 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 / LOUISA GOULIAMAKILOUISA GOULIAMAKI/AFP/Getty Images