European leaders agreed on Thursday to give Ursula von der Leyen a second term as head of the European Commission, as part of a redistribution of key EU posts, diplomatic sources said.
The reappointment of the German conservative leader will have to be confirmed by an absolute majority of MEPs. The outcome of the vote, expected in mid-July, is uncertain: the usual coalition of conservatives, socialists and liberals in the European Parliament was weakened in the June elections by the strong surge of the extreme right.
To embody the face of EU diplomacy against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the heads of state and government have chosen Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a determined opponent of the Kremlin. The 47-year-old liberal will succeed Spaniard Josep Borrell. She said she was “honoured” by this “enormous responsibility”.
Finally, they appointed former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa as the new president of the European Council, the body that brings together the member states. A year after his resignation over a corruption case that ultimately appears to be poorly supported, this socialist, known for his skillful tactics and pragmatism, will succeed Belgian Charles Michel on December 1.
The three favorites
These three names were widely favored, the games seeming to be made even before the Brussels summit, following the agreement concluded Tuesday between six European leaders, including the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and the German Olaf Scholz, belonging to the “grand coalition » right/social democrats/centrists, in the wake of the European elections.
The Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, denounced a “shameful” arrangement upon arriving at the summit: “European voters have been deceived. (The right) has formed a coalition of lies with the left and the liberals,” he got carried away,
The head of the ultraconservative Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, left out of the negotiations between the three political groups, had denounced the actions of an “oligarchy” the day before in Rome. On Thursday evening, she abstained on Ursula von der Leyen and voted against Kaja Kallas and António Costa, according to a diplomatic source.
« Portfolio important »
A certain number of leaders had shown themselves keen to spare her: if the support of Giorgia Meloni was not necessary, unanimity not being required, politically her voice counts. “There is no Europe without Italy, and there is no decision without Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, that is obvious,” assured the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, from the PPE (right).
Like Viktor Orban, Giorgia Meloni intends to have more influence on the choices of the future executive in Brussels, following the rise of the radical and extreme right during the European elections, notably the ECR group of the Italian leader, which took third place from the centrist family of French President Emmanuel Macron in the European Parliament.
Rome is demanding “at a minimum” a vice-presidency of the European Commission, with an “important portfolio” to influence industrial and agricultural policy, according to its Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani.
This meeting of the Twenty-Seven is also being held three days before the early legislative elections in France, for which the National Rally is largely in the lead. Asked whether this election “cast a shadow” over the EU, Viktor Orban said on the contrary that it brought a “ray of sunshine”, believing that “great things can happen (in France) on Sunday” .
Thierry Breton should be reappointed
For his part, President Macron announced on Thursday during a meeting of his liberal allies his intention to reappoint Thierry Breton as French member of the European Commission, according to European sources: since 2019 he has been Commissioner for the Internal Market, a vast portfolio which includes digital and industry.
The leaders of the Twenty-Seven also endorsed the “strategic agenda” on Thursday, setting the bloc’s priorities for the next five years, emphasizing security, defense, competitiveness and the fight against irregular immigration in particular. .
Among other key EU positions, Maltese conservative Roberta Metsola appears favorite to be reappointed for a second term of two and a half years at the head of the European Parliament, following a vote by MEPs during the first plenary session following the June mid-July ballot in Strasbourg.