International

European Council meets in Brussels on Thursday to decide on key functions

Ursula von der Leyen will most likely be the head of the European Commission for another five years, but she does not have the support of Italy and Hungary. The heads of state and government in the Union appoint the president of the Commission, and the Parliament approves the proposal. Tomorrow, the European Council meets in Brussels to decide on key functions. Germany, Portugal and Estonia should take over the leadership of the most important institutions.

The group of conservatives and reformists achieved good results in the recent European elections. It ranks third. Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, who won Italy's election with her conservative, right-wing party - does not agree with the division of functions. However, the European populists are the largest group in the Parliament and support Ursula von der Leyen.

Georgia Meloni believes that this designation does not meet the vote. The proposals are as follows - a new von der Leyen mandate at the Commission, former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonia Costa - head of the European Council and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas should replace Josep Borrell at the Head of the External Action Service.

The commission is a kind of union government, the parliament can refuse the proposal of the heads of state and government. Likewise with the High Representative for Foreign Policy. Only the head of the council is directly elected by the country's presidents or prime ministers, because he coordinates and chairs their meetings. But unanimity is not necessary.

Viktor Orban said that the way the positions are negotiated - divides Europe in two. Hungary will coordinate the agenda of the European Union in the second half of the year. But the strategy is for five years, and from the perspective of enlargement it matters who will end up in the key functions in the Union.

Read more