BRUSSELS – Ursula von der Leyen has been officially nominated for a second term as President of the European Commission, European Council President Charles Michel confirmed Thursday during the EU summit in Brussels.
The formal nomination follows an informal agreement reached earlier in the week. Alongside von der Leyen, former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa was selected as the next President of the European Council, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was chosen as the European Union’s next foreign policy chief. These selections were confirmed on social media by outgoing European Council President Michel and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk.
Von der Leyen’s second term, however, still requires the backing of a majority in the newly-elected European Parliament. EU leaders hope a coalition of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and the liberal Renew Europe group will secure her confirmation.
Despite these endorsements, the European Parliament’s political groups are often fractious, representing broad affiliations of various national parties. Estonian Prime Minister Kallas acknowledged the challenges ahead, citing ongoing geopolitical tensions and instability as significant concerns.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni criticized the exclusion of the soft-eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group from top EU positions, arguing that this disregard disrespects the increase in right-wing support shown in the elections.
Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo emphasized the importance of cooperation in politics, while German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed optimism about von der Leyen’s chances of securing a second term, given her good reputation in the parliament.
In addition to these key appointments, EU leaders addressed various critical issues. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky briefed them on the Ukraine war during his visit to sign a security pact with the EU. Leaders also outlined a comprehensive policy agenda for the next five years, discussed the Middle East situation, and planned to strengthen Europe’s defense industry. Additionally, they decided to freeze EU membership talks with Georgia due to concerns about the country’s potential shift towards authoritarianism.
