European leaders, including President Emmanuel
Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni of
Italy, met for dinner on Monday to talk about some pretty important stuff—The big topic?
Deciding who gets the top jobs in the EU. These top positions include
the European Council President, the European Commission President, and
the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
But what do these roles actually do? The European Council is where the
heads of state or government of the 27 EU member states come together,
along with its own President. They set the EU's overall political direction and
priorities. The President of the European Council represents the EU externally and ensures
everyone’s working together smoothly. Right now, António Costa from Portugal is the most
likely candidate for this role. He’s part of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group and
was the Prime Minister of Portugal. He is known for his practical approach to leadership
and focus on social and economic issues. Onto our next institution: The European
Commission. Which is like the executive branch of the EU. It’s responsible for proposing new laws,
implementing decisions, upholding EU treaties, and managing day-to-day affairs. The President
of the European Commission leads this group of 27 Commissioners, one from each EU country. Right
now, Ursula von der Leyen from Germany is likely to continue for a second term. She’s part of the
centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and has been in office since 2019, championing
big initiatives like the European Green Deal. Lastly, there is the High Representative of the
Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, which is the EU’s chief diplomat. This
person shapes and carries out the EU’s foreign and security policy, making
sure the EU speaks with one voice on the international stage. Right now, Kaja
Kallas, the Prime Minister of Estonia, is the frontrunner for this role. She’s part
of the Renew Europe group and is known for her strong stance on security and her efforts to boost
digital innovation and cybersecurity in the EU. This lineup of candidates represents the
three largest groups in the EU. The top job, President of the European Commission, is set to go
to the EPP, the largest group. The other two roles are lined up for the second and third largest
groups. Plus, it's a great mix geographically, with representation from Southern Europe,
Western Europe, and Northeastern Europe. But hold on, these names aren’t set in stone yet.
At the end of the month, on June 27th and 28th, there’s an official meeting where these leaders are likely to be confirmed. BUT
there are significant obstacles. First, the EPP is getting a bit greedy.
They think they should get a piece of the European Council pie too. Traditionally, a Council
presidency term is 2.5 years, usually extended to match the Commission’s five-year term. But
now, the EPP is proposing to split it up, 2.5 years for the S&D and then 2.5 years for
the EPP - a move that's ruffled the Socialists, who were set to take their turn holding that
post. Considering that EPP will most likely also have their candidate Metsola as the Parliament
president, is this asking for a bit too much? Second, the more centrist leaning party
negotiators held their own private pre-meetings and left Meloni out. This might
be a big mistake—Meloni was visibly annoyed, and Viktor Orbán even tweeted about it.
Meloni’s protests might not have been enough to stall the process, but the EPP’s
Council-split idea is causing delays that could have serious consequences for von der Leyen.
For example, this might give much needed time to the Conservatives and Far-Right to get their act
together. If the ECR, the I&D and other far-right players like AfD and Fidesz, could quickly
form a mega-group ahead of the June 27th, it would shake up everything. Even small gains
by this group could make it harder to justify keeping the top jobs within the centre.
And third, even if everything is confirmed on the 27th, the Commission president,
Ursula von der Leyen will face another tough challenge—getting the green light
from the European Parliament in mid-July. But what do you think? Happy with these choices? Please like the video and hit the subscribe button
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