German leaders Olaf Scholz (l), Italian Giorgia Meloni (c) and Hungarian Viktor Orban (d) at the EU summit on June 27, 2024 in Brussels (AFP / JOHN THYS)
The leaders of the Twenty-Seven met on Thursday to validate a second term for Ursula von der Leyen at the head of the European Commission as part of an agreement on key EU positions which aroused the anger of the Italian Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Viktor Orban.
The stakes seem to be set on these “top jobs” after the agreement concluded Tuesday between six European leaders – including the Frenchman Emmanuel Macron and the German Olaf Scholz – belonging to the “grand coalition” of the right, the social democrats and the centrists, in the wake of the European elections of June 6-9.
“European voters have been deceived,” responded the Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister upon arriving at the summit. The right “has formed a coalition of lies with the left and the liberals. We do not support this shameful agreement!”, he fumed.
The head of the ultraconservative Italian government, Giorgia Meloni, left out of the negotiations between the three political groups, had denounced the actions of an “oligarchy” the day before in Rome.
This summit is being held three days before the early legislative elections in France, for which the National Rally (far right) is largely in the lead. Asked whether this election “cast a shadow” over the EU, Viktor Orban said on the contrary that it brought a “ray of sunshine”, believing that “great things can happen (in France) on Sunday” .
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte attends a European summit in Brussels on June 27, 2024 (AFP / JOHN THYS)
In addition to a second term for the German Ursula von der Leyen as president of the European Commission, the agreement concerns the designation of the Portuguese socialist Antonio Costa at the head of the European Council and the centrist Kaja Kallas, Estonian Prime Minister, to the functions as head of diplomacy.
“Surprises happen (…) you should not sell the bear’s skin before having killed it,” the latter cautiously commented.
The three names will be submitted to all the leaders who should approve them: the overwhelming majority of them belong to one of these three families (right, center, social democrats).
The support of the far-right Italian leader is not necessary, unanimity is not required, but politically, her voice counts.
“The hope, of course, is that everyone supports this proposal (…) all 27 are equally important,” said German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
– “No Europe without Italy” –
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban answers questions from journalists during an EU summit in Brussels on June 27, 2024 (AFP / JOHN THYS)
The European elections of June 9 were marked by a progression of the radical and extreme right, in particular of Ms. Meloni’s ECR group, which took third place from Emmanuel Macron’s centrist family in the European Parliament.
The Italian leader, like Hungarian nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, is calling for the distribution of high EU posts to take this surge into account.
“There is a political reality at the end of the European elections which is that of the renewal of the coalition between the EPP (right), S&D (social democrats) and Renew (center), a coalition to which ECR does not belong “, we respond to the French presidency. But “no one is excluded,” adds this source, stressing that contacts are taking place with Ms. Meloni.
“There is no Europe without Italy, and there is no decision without Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, that is obvious,” assured the head of the Polish government, Donald Tusk, from the PPE.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, from the same political family, also considered it “important to involve” Ms. Meloni in the negotiation process, stressing that she had “taken many good initiatives for the European Union and for security in our external borders.
Having emerged from this election strengthened, the leader of the third largest economy in the EU intends to have more influence on the choices of the future executive in Brussels. Rome claims “at a minimum” a vice-presidency of the European Commission, with an “important portfolio” to influence industrial and agricultural policy, according to its Minister of Foreign Affairs Antonio Tajani.
If she is indeed chosen by the leaders, Ursula von der Leyen will still have to be approved by an absolute majority of 361 MEPs.
In front of the headquarters of the European Commission in Brussels, April 12, 2024 (AFP / Kenzo TRIBOUILLARD)
In a letter sent on the eve of the summit to the leaders of the 27, Mrs von der Leyen said she was ready, within the framework of a future mandate, to examine solutions proposed by 15 EU countries, including Italy , to outsource the processing of asylum applications in third countries, a way of giving assurances in particular to Giorgia Meloni.
In addition to the European cast, the summit was an opportunity to sign an agreement with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, present in Brussels, on the EU’s “security commitments” towards kyiv. The EU officially began accession negotiations with Ukraine on Tuesday.
