International Courant
European leaders will announce their selections for the highest jobs on the EU’s helm throughout a two-day summit in Brussels, with present Fee President Ursula von der Leyen nominated for a second mandate.
The summit may also be attended by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who thanked EU leaders for opening membership talks together with his nation earlier this week.
Different subjects on the agenda embody safety and protection, with leaders from Poland and the Baltic states asking the EU for cash to construct a protection line alongside their border with Russia.
Earlier this week it emerged that six EU leaders had agreed on the names to place ahead – every from one of many three events that dominate the European Parliament.
Ms von der Leyen of the centre-right European Individuals’s Celebration (EPP) is tipped for one more 5 years as president of the European Fee, whereas former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa of the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) would take over as president of the European Council. can get.
Kaja Kallas, who belongs to the centrist Renew Europe and is the present Prime Minister of Estonia, may very well be the EU’s excessive international coverage consultant.
The six EU leaders who negotiated the names additionally every characterize the EPP, S&D or Renew.
These have been the Greek Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Pole Donald Tusk for the EPP, the Spaniards Pedro Sánchez and the German Olaf Scholz for the Socialists, and the French Emmanuel Macron and the Dutch Mark Rutte for Renew.
Notably, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who heads the right-wing European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) bloc, was not concerned within the talks – even if the ECR has displaced Renew because the third largest faction within the European Parliament after the European elections. earlier this month.
In her speech to the Italian parliament on Wednesday, Ms Meloni stated angrily that European voters had requested the EU to “observe a unique path than the one it has adopted up to now”.
With out naming names, she criticized “those that argue that residents are usually not mature sufficient to make sure selections, and (who consider) that oligarchy is basically the one acceptable type of democracy.”
Earlier this week, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán additionally expressed his displeasure to different EU leaders.
Writing on
“As an alternative of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division,” Orban stated, including that high EU officers “ought to characterize each member state, not simply leftists and liberals!”
On Thursday morning, allies of Ms. Meloni informed reporters in Brussels that she had not but determined whether or not to help the brand new management staff.
However even with Orban’s potential backing, Ms Meloni wouldn’t have the ability to veto the highest job nominations, as that will require getting a majority of EU leaders on board.
However Ms. Meloni has achieved a distinguished standing amongst Europe’s right-wing events, and Ms. von der Leyen is unlikely to need to oppose her in the beginning of a second mandate.
Forward of the summit, members of Ms von der Leyen’s PPE group struck a conciliatory tone, with Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk telling reporters: “It’s not Europe with out Italy and there’s no choice with out Prime Minister Meloni, that’s clear .”
It is usually thought that Italy might be provided a senior job within the subsequent committee in return for approval at right this moment’s summit. Every EU member state may have a commissioner, however some – such because the economic system or competitors portfolios – are probably the most coveted.
In a letter to EU leaders on the eve of the Brussels summit, Ms von der Leyen additionally pledged to do extra to deal with unlawful migration, which is one among Ms Meloni’s foremost considerations.
If she is formally nominated as EU leaders’ most popular candidate for president of the European Fee, Ms von der Leyen will then need to be authorised by a majority of Members of the European Parliament at a session more likely to happen in the midst of this yr happen. July.
Ms von der Leyen might be supported by the 190 members of her EPP group, however she may also want the help of different teams to acquire a majority of 361.
