The European Union (EU) leaders, amidst various disruptions such as the Russia-Ukraine war, U.S. presidential risks, and conflicts with China, are expected to reappoint Ursula von der Leyen as the next President of the European Commission. The leaders praised von der Leyen’s governance and focused on stability and continuity in these turbulent times.
According to the Financial Times (FT), EU leaders from 27 countries held a private dinner in Brussels, Belgium, on June 17. Following the dinner, European Council President Charles Michel told reporters, “It was a good discussion. I think it’s moving in the right direction, but nothing was agreed upon tonight.”
The European Parliament, which serves as the legislative branch of the EU, held general elections to select its 10th members from June 6-9. The EU Council, composed of member state leaders, must proceed with the appointment of the Executive Commission as it serves as the EU administration while the European Parliament begins its new term. However, according to prior discussions, EU leaders plan to first review the representative of the political party that won the most seats in the European Parliament.
EU leaders will then finalize the appointment of the president at the official summit scheduled for June 27-28. The European Parliament confirms the president with a majority vote on the nomination during the third week of next month.
Von der Leyen, who became the first female President of the European Commission in 2019, was nominated as the Executive Commission President candidate in this year’s election for the European People’s Party (EPP). The EPP leans towards the center-right and has maintained its position as the leading party following the election results. A conference official reported that the leaders who gathered on June 17 mentioned von der Leyen’s reappointment as the next President. António Costa, the former Prime Minister of Portugal, was mentioned for the position of the next permanent President of the Summit. Kaja Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia, is a strong candidate for the next EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. An official emphasized that there were no attempts to block the nominations of von der Leyen, Costa, or Kallas during the meeting on June 17.
Politico reported that the leaders who gathered on June 17 had no disagreements over the major job candidates, but there was conflict over the term of the permanent President of the Summit. An EU official reported that the EPP demanded that the term of the permanent president be divided into two halves of 2.5 years each, with one half given to an EPP candidate. This was strongly opposed by the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), to which Costa belongs. The S&D, which represents the left and center factions, came second in the European Parliament after the EPP in the general election.
Despite these minor disagreements, the FT predicted that von der Leyen would be reappointed as president for another five-year term. The media mentioned the possibility of a cooling relationship between the U.S. and the EU due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, tense relations between China and the EU, and the victory of former President Donald Trump in the U.S. election in November.
It pointed out that EU leaders are focusing on government continuity during these turbulent times. Von der Leyen also emphasized domestic and foreign uncertainties during her campaign for the European Parliament general election, arguing that she should be reappointed.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, leader of the EU’s largest economy, called von der Leyen’s reappointment a “reasonable solution” before the dinner on June 17. He said, “We are living in difficult times, and we need to decide on the Commission President quickly.” Mark Rutte, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, also praised von der Leyen for her excellent handling of the COVID-19 response and the situation in Ukraine.
Local media previously reported that French President Emmanuel Macron opposed von der Leyen, but after the sudden decision for early French general elections, he now prefers a stable EU. Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni also showed a positive attitude towards von der Leyen, stating that she believes the “EPP has the right to propose a president.”
