EU summit|Ursula von der Leyen’s continued term at the head of the Commission is widely supported, but no agreement was reached on the appointment package.
Brussels
EU countries On Monday, the leaders still did not reach an agreement on the filling of top EU positions, despite the hope of Finland and many other member states that the appointment package could be agreed upon quickly.
“It was not ready, but as my own conclusion, I say that we are already quite close. –– I have a very good reason to think that the decisions will be made next week”, the Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (kok) said at the end of the meeting.
According to Orpo, the EU leaders give their support widely Ursula von der Leyen for the next term under the leadership of the European Commission. Other candidates who have been in the public eye also receive the support of the member states. Former Prime Minister of Portugal António Costa would become president of the European Council and prime minister of Estonia Kaja Kallas as the EU’s foreign policy representative. Roberta Metsola would be getting an extended term as President of the European Parliament.
“During the conversation, no dubbing or other names of their relationship came up.”
Instead According to Orpo, the problem was at least how to secure the support of the European Parliament for the appointment package. The Parliament must approve the appointment of the President of the Commission, and the Parliament also appoints its own President.
Building a majority in the parliament is more difficult than before after the result of the European elections.
The three power groups in the parliament, i.e. the center-right EPP, the social democrats’ S&D and the liberals’ Renew, won more than 400 seats in the elections and thus a majority in the parliament. However, the majority of the groups is narrower than in the previous term, and they must be prepared for the fact that some of the representatives will deviate from the common line, because group discipline in the parliament is often not liked.
If the groups want to seek support from other groups as well, the options are either the Greens or the far-right ECR. After the meeting, Orpo did not want to reveal in detail where the support is going to be applied for with the nomination package.
“There are two processes here. There is this council process with heads. That’s where the great majority can certainly be found. In addition to that, it must be ensured in the parliament that a majority is ensured, and it must be found without the far-right or far-left.”
In addition The EPP brought to the negotiations as a new demand that the seat of the European Council president be divided in such a way that half of the five-year term belongs to the EPP and half to the Social Democrats. Previously, the entire season was supposed to go to the Social Democrats. This reportedly annoyed the social democratic leaders.
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