EU. Without Meloni, major European leaders agree to reappoint von der Leyen
“The three big political families agree on the distribution of the highest positions in the EU following a negotiation without the far right”, title El País this Tuesday, June 25. “Without Giorgia Meloni”, underlines the Spanish newspaper, six leaders including Olaf Scholz, Pedro Sanchez or Emmanuel Macron agreed on a trio which must be validated on Thursday by all European heads of state and government.
The German Ursula von der Leyen (conservative) would be reappointed as head of the Commission; the Portuguese Antonio Costa (former socialist Prime Minister) would take the head of the Council; And Estonian Kaja Kallas (Liberal Prime Minister) that of external affairs. The six negotiators came from their three political families.
“Meloni won’t like it”
If she is indeed dubbed by the leaders, Ursula von der Leyen will then have to obtain the approval of an absolute majority of 361 MEPs. A more perilous step. To ensure that you overcome it, “the outgoing president will have to decide whether she opts for an opening to the Greens or to the right a la Giorgia Meloni”, writing La Repubblica in Italy.
“At present, she and the People’s Party (EPP) still seem undecided, in the middle of the ford. Von der Leyen is nevertheless seeking convergence with Meloni on the appointments and the negotiators have accepted that she discusses with her ‘as Prime Minister and not as head of Fratelli d’Italia’”, the newspaper continues. The German “will seek to gain his consent in exchange for certain portfolios in Brussels.”
The Italian Prime Minister “will not appreciate having (once again) not been involved while his political group is now the third largest in the European Parliament”, nevertheless advance Politico from a European Union source.
“The EU’s top officials should represent all member states, not just leftists and liberals”for his part castigated Viktor Orban on X. The Hungarian Prime Minister, who is no longer part of the EPP, is due to meet Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday in Paris.
