Approval of Leaders and Senior Officials of the European Union
The leaders and heads of state of the European Union have given their approval to Ursula von der Leyen to continue as president of the European Commission, along with other senior officials.
The decision was made with the required qualified majority after a series of negotiations. During these negotiations, there were disagreements on the part of the extreme right regarding senior officials.
Support for Other Leaders
In addition to supporting Von der Leyen, EU leaders supported António Costa as president of the European Council and Kaja Kallas as high representative.
However, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni refrained from supporting Von der Leyen’s appointment and opposed those of Costa and Kallas due to ‘uncomfortability’.
Positioning of Viktor Orbán
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voted against Von der Leyen, abstained with Kallas and voted in favor of Costa. Orbán had previously warned that he would oppose the German leader, whom he blamed for the EU’s ‘failed policies’.
Orbán considered the pact by senior officials as ‘shameful’ for not taking into account the rise of far-right formations in the elections.
Majority Approval
Despite initial reluctance, the other 25 member states voted in favour of the appointment of the three leaders, including the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Next steps
Despite the approval, both Von der Leyen and Kallas will need the support of an absolute majority of the European Parliament. The European Parliament will discuss Von der Leyen’s appointment during a session in July, while Kallas’ position will be submitted to the European Parliament’s opinion in a later session.
Posture of Giorgia Meloni
The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, abstained from voting in favor of Von der Leyen due to ‘discomfort’ and respect for her political family, expressing that the parties that had signed the pact had not taken into account the voice of the Conservatives and European Reformists, his political family.
Final comments
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk highlighted the importance of Italy in decision-making, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz emphasized the importance of careful and fair discussion, considering all states equally.