The agreement was reached just less than three weeks before the elections. Ursula von der Leyen will become President of the European Commission, António Costa President of the European Council and Kaja Kallas High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The Heads of State or Government of the European Union (EU) have given the green light for the names that will form the institutional leadership of the community of the next five years. The pact ultimately failed to gain the support of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was angry at being excluded from previous negotiations.
The agreement was reached just under three weeks before the European Parliament elections. The names it will consist of are as follows: Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission, Antonio Costa President of the European Council and Kaja Kallas High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Recently nominated and at a press conference, von der Leyen assured that she will try to “convince a strong majority for a strong Europe” in the next three weeks before her confirmation vote in the European Parliament. In the same way, he stressed that he wants to work with parties and MEPs who are in favour of the European Union, of Ukraine in the face of the Russian invasion and of the rule of law.
From Portugal, Costa also assured via videoconference that he is taking on this responsibility “with a tremendous sense of mission” and is committed to promoting unity among the 27 Member States and implementing the strategic agenda approved by the Council.
Kallas has indicated that the main challenges he will face as head of EU diplomacy will be war in Europe and instability in neighbouring countries and at global level.
Meloni and Orbán, outside the consensus
Meloni, who belongs to the European Conservatives and Reformists, has publicly complained of being excluded from the talks between the negotiators of the three main pro-European families to draw up a shortlist of names for the summit, despite the fact that its parliamentary group is now the third largest in the European Parliament, ahead the liberals. The Italian abstained from voting on Von der Leyen’s appointment and voted against Kallas and Costa.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was also left out of the consensus. He voted against Von der Leyen and, like Kallas, abstained, although he voted in favor of Costa.
Source: EITB
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
