A little more than two weeks after the European elections, the configuration of the future institutions of the European Union is beginning to take place in an increasingly definitive manner. The German Ursula von der Leyen is now almost certain to be reappointed for five years, the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa would become President of the Council and the Prime Minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas would take the head of the EU diplomacy.
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The six negotiators from the majority parties met by videoconference and set in stone their nominations for the positions of the three leaders of the European institutions. They have set it in stone, but only as far as their three political families are concerned, underlines our correspondent in Brussels, Pierre Benazet. The center-right EPP, which came first by far, is represented in fourteen governments out of 27.
Its negotiators are the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his Greek counterpart Kyriákos Mitsotakis. The Social Democrats, in slight decline, in five governments represented by the German Olaf Scholz and the Spaniard Pedro Sánchez. The centrist-liberals of Renew, in clear decline, five governments, with Emmanuel Macron and the Dutchman Mark Rutte at the helm. These three political families obtained 402 seats in the hemicycle (fifteen fewer than in the outgoing Parliament) and decided that they were going to renew their coalition.
During the dinner summit on June 17, they had already drawn up the trifecta and in the process, they now confirmed it. To the right, Ursula von der Leyen is reappointed at the head of the Commission, on the left the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa for the presidency of the European Council and the Estonian Kaja Kallas as head of Union diplomacy.
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A “good decision” for the leader of the German conservatives, “the seeds of division” for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban
The president of the German conservative party, the CDU (from which Ursula von der Leyen comes), Friedrich Merz, confirmed the agreement in Berlin, before a meeting of his parliamentary group in the Chamber of Deputies. “ The heads of state and government agreed this morning during a videoconference to propose Ursula von der Leyen for a second term “, he indicated, rejoicing at a ” good choice “.
“ The deal the EPP has made with leftists and liberals goes against everything the EU is based on. Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. The EU’s top officials should represent all member states, not just leftists and liberals », blasted Viktor Orban on X, who is due to meet Emmanuel Macron on Wednesday June 26 in Paris for a working lunch.
The deal that the @EPP made with the leftists and the liberals runs against everything that the EU was based on. Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division. EU top officials should represent every member state, not just leftists and liberals! pic.twitter.com/U8HoWrT7TH
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 25, 2024
The three names for these key EU positions will be submitted to all 27 heads of state and government at a summit on Thursday June 27 and Friday June 28 in Brussels.