BRUSSELS: European Union leaders from the bloc’s main political groups have reached a consensus to nominate Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as the European Commission chief, a source close to the talks told AFP on Tuesday.
Ahead of the upcoming two-day summit in Brussels starting on Thursday, where EU 27 leaders will convene to allocate top positions following the recent European Parliament elections, negotiators representing the three dominant political alliances in the EU have finalized a deal.
The agreement, brokered by six key negotiators, requires the support of a weighted majority of 15 leaders at the summit to be formalized.
Under the accord, Ursula von der Leyen of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) will continue as the European Commission president. Joining her will be Antonio Costa from the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) as the European Council president, and Kaja Kallas from Renew Europe as the EU’s foreign policy “high representative”.
The trio’s names were initially floated during informal discussions last week in Brussels but required further negotiations to secure a final agreement.
The negotiators included Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk representing the EPP, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz from the S&D, and French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte representing Renew.
In Berlin, Friedrich Merz, leader of Germany’s Christian Democrats, welcomed the decision, noting its alignment with the electorate’s preferences.
“It’s a good decision, it reflects the will of the electorate,” Merz commented ahead of a party meeting, where support for von der Leyen remains strong.
However, despite the overwhelming support from the centrist alliances, voices of dissent have emerged within the EU. Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, representing the hard-right European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), expressed dissatisfaction, highlighting the electoral success of her group and calling for their inclusion in leadership discussions.
Meanwhile, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the centrist alliance’s deal, arguing that it excludes broader representation within the EU leadership.
“The deal that the EPP made with the leftists and the liberals runs against everything that the EU was based on,” Orban stated, emphasizing the need for inclusive representation across all member states.
