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Plenković says he is not interested in positions in the EU

by AI | 18.Jun 2024 | Europe in brief AI

Plenković says he has no European ambitions and wants to continue leading the Croatian government.

Brussels, 06/17/2024. - Informal EU summit, statement by Prime Minister Andrej Plenović before the working dinner of EU heads of state or government. In the photo Andrej Plenković. photo HINA/ Slavko VUKADIN/ ml

BRUSSELS – Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković said on Monday evening after the conclusion of the informal EU summit that he is not interested in any of the European positions and that he is “eager for a third term” as head of the Croatian government.

“I am the Croatian Prime Minister with already a lot of experience, eager for a third term,” Plenković responded to a journalist’s question about whether he is interested in one of the leading positions in the EU, which was discussed on Monday evening at an informal dinner of EU member state leaders. Plenković formed his third government after the parliamentary elections held in April and became the longest-serving Prime Minister in the history of independent Croatia. In the media, it is often mentioned that he could assume one of the leading positions in the EU.

The leaders of the EU member states discussed on Monday evening at an informal working dinner the distribution of leading positions in the European institutions after the European elections held on June 9.

European Council President Charles Michel said at a press conference that a final agreement has not been reached, but he expressed confidence that an agreement will be reached by the formal EU summit, which will be held at the end of next week.

“We had good discussions, which are going in the right direction, but we did not reach an agreement,” Michel said at a press conference after the informal working dinner.

They are discussing the positions of President of the European Commission, European Council, High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and President of the European Parliament.

Given the balance of power in the European Council, where the EPP has 12 prime ministers, and in the European Parliament where it has 190 out of 720 deputies, it seems most likely that the EPP candidate Ursula von der Leyen will get a second term as President of the European Commission, and Roberta Metsola will remain the President of the European Parliament in the first half of this parliamentary term.

For the position of President of the European Council, the name of former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, from the ranks of the socialists, is being crystallized, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security, coming from the ranks of the liberals.

“These discussions will continue in the coming days and if a consensus is reached, we will make a decision at the regular meeting of the European Council at the end of next week. Today’s meeting was more of an informative nature,” Plenković told reporters after the conclusion of the meeting. (June 18,
2024.)