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This article has been translated by Artificial Intelligence (AI). The news agency is not responsible for the content of the translated article. The original was published by Ivone Gravato/ Ana Matos Neves / André Campos Ferrão.

Closer to leading the European Council

by AI | 25.Jun 2024 | Europe in brief AI

According to European sources heard today by Lusa, the negotiators reached an agreement on the names for the top EU positions, which include Costa (Council), Von der Leyen (Commission) and the Estonian Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, for the bloc’s chief diplomat.

The names of the former Prime Minister António Costa and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, are in the package of approved names

The six heads of Government and State of the European Union (EU) who are negotiating the top positions, including the nomination of António Costa for the presidency of the European Council, reached a preliminary agreement today, European sources told Lusa.

After a first failed attempt to reach an agreement at the informal dinner of EU leaders on June 17, these negotiators (center-right, socialists, and liberals) have been in talks about the top European positions for the next institutional cycle, discussing António Costa’s name for the leadership of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen for a second term at the European Commission, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for head of EU diplomacy.

According to European sources heard today by Lusa, the negotiators reached a party agreement (which is preliminary) on these names after a videoconference meeting on Monday night, which also includes Roberta Metsola, who is expected to be re-elected as President of the European Parliament, although she is not officially part of the package as she is not chosen by the European Council.

The negotiators are, for the European People’s Party, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk; for the Socialists, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz; and for the Liberals, French President Emmanuel Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

This is, however, an endorsement by the parties and not final, which can only be confirmed at the leaders’ summit at the end of this week in Brussels.