This could be a decisive day for nominations to the EU’s top positions

Brussels – The European Council table is hot and the main course is ready by lunch: EU nominations for the heads of the main EU institutions. The package is always the same, but unlike the informal meeting on June 17 that took place today (June 27) at the Europa Palace, there is a clear sense that the consensus among the overwhelming majority of the heads of state and government of the 27 EU Member States is already solid, despite the fact that the “Meloni affair” broke out in the last twenty-four hours. Because now common understanding among three European political families which have a centrist majority in the European Parliament—People, socialists and liberals—is clearand from the words of EU leaders, it is difficult to deduce what morsel could make the dinner and the entire package of EU nominations indigestible.

Ursula von der Leyen to the European Commission, António Costa to the European Council and Kaja Kallas as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. This forms the basis for today’s discussions among the Twenty-Seven, aimed at the agreement reached between six negotiators from three European political families on Tuesday (June 25): Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos MitsotakisPolish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (on behalf of the European People’s Party), Chancellor of Germany Olaf Scholzand Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez (on behalf of the Party of European Socialism), President of France Emmanuel Macronand Prime Minister of the Netherlands Marek Rutte (for Renew Europe). The final authorization of EU nominations will require an increased qualified majority in the European Council, which, according to the Treaties, simultaneously requires two conditions to be met: 72 percent of member states vote in favor of the vote (i.e. at least 20) and they represent not less than 65 percent of the total population of the Union .

Overall, the latent optimism about the quick consumption of the main course at tonight’s dinner is due to the clearly relaxed mood on the ground floor of Heads of State and Government ahead of the start of the European Council meeting.Sometimes you need a platform that enables smoother decision-making and facilitates dialogueand we have achieved a common position of the main forces in the European Parliament,” confirmed Polish Prime Minister Tusk. “This is not just an agreement between 27 heads of state and government, but also the question of what political majority the Commission’s presidency in the European Parliament will have” – emphasized German Chancellor Scholz, about the vote confirming that – in the event of an agreement at this EU summit – “it may already take place On July 18, during the inaugural plenary session in Strasbourg”, as confirmed by the President of the European Parliament, Robert Metsol (ready for approval by 720 MEPs at the same session).

Support for the EU nominations package comes from the Prime Minister of Sweden, Ulf Kristersson (EPP) – ‘We have good reasons to say that there is unity today; we have three very good names, highly respected and known for their ability to dialogue“…to the outgoing Dutch Prime Minister Rutte (Renew) – “I expect a debate, but the three political families have reached an agreement” – to the Irish Prime Minister, Simon Harris(PPE): “There is no doubt, there is a clear consensus“

Looking at the political composition of the governments represented at the table of the European Council, it is not surprising that the agreement between the popular people, socialists and liberals leaves no room for doubt: 23 of the 27 member states are led by leaders from one of these European families. Only Italy (the dissatisfied Prime Minister Meloni is the chairman of the Party of European Conservatives and Reformists), red-brown Slovakia represented today by the President Robert PellegriniCzech Republic (but a conservative prime minister, Piotr Fialahas already suggested that it will support the package), and Hungary with Viktor Orban, which remained the only real opponent in both content and terms: “The agreement is a disgrace and is not based on the election result.” However, the elections showed that the EPP has been strengthened, that the centrist majority is maintained and, above all, that the far right has no chance of proposing alternative majorities. Neither in Parliament nor at the European Council dinner.

English version by Inhub Translation Service