Ursula von der Leyen received the support of European leaders for another term – Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán protested

The European Union member states meeting in Brussels have agreed to support the EPP Ursula von der Leyenia for the next term as chairman of the commission. The agreement was announced late in the night between Thursday and Friday.

The former prime minister of Portugal, a social democrat, was elected to lead the European Council, which consists of the leaders of the member states Antonio Costa. The Prime Minister of Estonia, representing the Renew parliamentary group, was elected as the EU’s new high representative for foreign and security policy Kaja Kalla.

The appointment package was agreed on Tuesday by the leaders of six EU countries, including the German Chancellor Olaf ScholzPresident of France Emmanuel Macron and the Prime Minister of Poland Donald Tusk. The Prime Minister of Greece was also present Kyriakos MitsotakisPrime Minister of Spain Pedro Sanchez and the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, elected Secretary General of NATO Mark Rutte.

Now most of the leaders of the other EU countries also supported appointments agreed in advance.

Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán protest

Meeting sources say Euractivillethat it took about an hour to agree on the appointments after von der Leyen and Kallas had left the room.

Italy’s far-right prime minister, the power figure of the third largest ECR group in the parliament Georgia Meloni abstained from voting for von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Kalla, says Politico. Meloni had previously made public his dismay that he was left out of the group of six EU countries that agreed on appointments.

Meloni expected to have a stronger role in the informal negotiations preparing the nominations, as he is one of the few EU leaders whose party won the European elections. In addition, Italy is the third largest EU and euro country.

“We continue to work to finally give Italy the weight it deserves in Europe,” Meloni writes in the message service in X.

Prime Minister of Hungary Viktor Orbán voted against von der Leyen and abstained for Kallas, who is known for his criticism of Russia. However, he voted for António Costa, Politico and Euractiv’s sources say.

The parliamentary vote is ahead

Although the trio now has the support of EU leaders, von der Leyen needs a parliamentary majority to support him. It may become difficult because in 2019 the German Christian Democrats survived the parliamentary vote with a majority of only nine votes.

Now von der Leyen needs 362 votes to qualify for the second term. He can get 399 votes from his own group, the EPP, the Social Democrats’ S&D and the Liberals’ Renew, but this would require that none of the MEPs in the parliamentary groups vote against him. Von der Leyen may also court the support of the Greens or part of the far-right ECR group.

The vote on von der Leyen may be held as early as July 18. If the majority of the European Parliament does not support him, the leaders of the EU countries have a month to choose a new candidate and start the process again.

The portfolio of Kallas’ high representative for foreign and security policy falls under the commission. The approval of the entire commission is voted on in parliament at once after the committees have voted on the suitability of the candidates for the position.

Portugal’s Costa, who resigned as prime minister in the wake of a corruption scandal, will start as president of the European Council on December 1. The current chairman, Charles Michel, will leave his position at the end of November.

In addition to the appointments, the EU countries signed a security agreement with Ukraine, discussed defense against the Russian threat, and agreed on the EU’s strategic priorities for the next five years. The European Council meeting continues on Friday.