Ursula von der Leyen, António Costa and Kaja Kallas have been proposed to lead the European Union in the next five years.
White smoke in Brussels.
The 27 leaders of the European Union have agreed on the political direction of the bloc for the next five years: Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission, Antonio Costa as president of the European Council and Kaja Kalla as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The leaders also approved on Thursday the Strategic Agenda, a document with broad strokes of ambitions that aims to guide the future work of the three appointees.
Los Appointments of Von der Leyen and Kallas are not final and must still be confirmed by the European Parliament. On the other hand, Costa, former prime minister of Portugal, is automatically chosen by their former counterparts. He will take office later.
The party negotiators had preemptively sealed the three-way agreement during a call hemars and they presented their proposal Thursday night. After a debate between all heads of State and Government, the agreement received formal blessing.
The talks between centrist parties had angered those who had been left out, especially Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who attacked the “surreal” form in which the package of posts had been agreed. The prime minister has voted against Kallas and Costa and has abstained in the case of Von der Leyen, as confirmed by several sources to ‘Euronews’. Meloni, who governs the bloc’s third-largest economy, called for greater inclusion and deeper debates.
“It seems to me that until now the message of the citizens at the polls has not been taken into account,” said Meloni on the eve of the summit. Hungarian Viktor Orbán was more scathing and described the agreement as “shameful”. Orbán has voted against Von der Leyen, he has abstained in the case of Kallas and in favor of Costa, ‘Euronews’ has been able to confirm.
His public complaints contrasted with the apparent coldness of other dignitaries, such as the German Olaf Scholz and the French Emmanuel Macron, committed to closing the process quickly and without complications.“We live in difficult times. We face great challenges, not to mention Russia’s terrible war of aggression against Ukraine. That is why it is important that Europe prepares now for the tasks at hand,” Scholz declared upon his arrival.
Diplomats in Brussels were concerned that, given the volatile geopolitical environment surrounding the bloc, the image of leaders haggling for hours on end over high-paying jobs seemed out of place. These concerns, coupled with the lack of credible alternatives, They facilitated the negotiations and helped the positions coalesce around the three names.
“Democracy is not just about blocking, democracy is about who wants to work together, and those three groups are willing to work together for the benefit of all Europeans,” said Belgian Alexander De Croo, rebuking Meloni’s criticism.
“What we need in the next five years is political stability and being able to act quickly.”
The chosen ones
For those who follow European politics, those elected are familiar faces. The presidency of the Commission falls again to Ursula von der Leyenthe Top candidate (main candidate) of the center-right European People’s Party (EPP).
Since announcing her candidacy for re-election in February, von der Leyen, the first woman to lead the Executive, had been the undisputed favorite thanks to his high political profile, forged while weathering the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.
During the campaign, he angered progressives by getting closer to Meloni’s hard right. But the EPP’s comfortable victory in the June elections, with 188 MEPs, downplayed Rome in the equation and allowed it to change its tone. Von der Leyen has promised to build a solid centrist coalition to support her in the next legislature.
In a distant second place were the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), with 136 seats. The family will see how one of its best-known faces, the former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa, takes the reins of the European Councilsucceeding Charles Michel.
Although the presidency of the Council lacks legislative powers, the succession of global crises that have affected the bloc in the last five years has increased its political relevance and media exposure, making it a coveted prize for the center-left.
Costa’s rise, however, comes with a question mark: His stay in power was cut short in November 2023, when he resigned after several members of his cabinet were accused of corruption and influence peddling in the concession of lithium mining, green hydrogen and data center projects. Costa has not been formally charged, but his exact involvement in the irregular dealings has not yet been clarified. Costa denies having committed any crime.
Meanwhile, the Renew Europe Liberals, who fell sharply from 102 to 75 seats, have secured ehe position of High Representative for the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallasa leading figure in the bloc’s response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
ADVERTISINGKallas was initially considered too frank and harsh for the position, which is supposed to act as a common voice of the 27 member states before the international community. But doubts about his suitability were diminishing and his name, previously linked to the position of Secretary General of NATO, received the green light.
Despite his prominence, the High Representative is inherently limited by the principle of unanimity that governs EU foreign policy. If confirmed by Parliament, Kallas will replace Josep Borrell, accused often going off script.
By electing von der Leyen, Costa and Kallas to top positions, EU leaders are ensuring that The distribution reflects the political and geographical diversity of the bloc and maintains a balance between men and women. In addition, Costa, whose father was half French-Mozambican and half Indian, will become the first non-white person to hold a senior position in the bloc’s history.
The election can be seen as a recognition of centrist parties, which held firm in the elections and defied ominous predictions of a far-right rise. Von der Leyen is already negotiating with socialists and liberals to design a common program.
