The European heads of state and government ended their informal dinner on Monday night without reaching an agreement on the "top jobs" for the EU institution having been agreed on, Belga News Agency reports.
The President of the European Council, Charles Michel, called for a formal European summit next week. Taking a decision before the end of the month is "our collective duty", he stressed.
The 27 Member States were meeting to decide who would take on the roles of President of the European Commission, President of the European Council and High Representative for Foreign Affairs.
"We have no agreement at this stage," declared Charles Michel at the end of the meeting. The aim was not to take a decision this Monday evening. But the President of the European Council said: "It is our collective duty to take a decision before the end of the month."
Having won the European elections, the European People's Party (EPP, pro-European conservatives) is in a good position to confirm its main candidate, Ursula von der Leyen, for a second five-year term, as well as Malta's Roberta Metsola for a new term at the head of the European Parliament.
In this scenario, the presidency of the European Council, the circle of heads of state and government of the EU-27, could fall to the Socialists & Democrats (S&D), who came second in the European elections.
Antonio Costa belongs to this family. He led Portugal from 2015 until this year, but was forced to resign after being named in an investigation into influence peddling in the construction of a data centre in the coastal town of Sines. The Portuguese has not been charged, but the investigation is still ongoing.
Tensions rose when the EPP – who has been threatening an alliance with the far-right – proposed to the Socialists that the European Council president’s term should be be split into two 2.5-year chunks — and the EPP would get one of them, report Politico and Euronews.
This would be another senior role for the EPP, on top of the European Commission and the European Parliament. This irked the socialists who were aiming to get at least one 'top job' after winning the second highest number of seats in the EP (136 seats to the EPP's 190). However, the EPP seems to now are going for another top role to further extend its dominance during this challenging moment for the EU.
Next summit
Michel pointed out the leaders will have to take two decisions at the next summit. The first on the "top jobs" and the second on the strategic agenda, the roadmap that should guide decision-making over the next legislature.
"We need to agree on the composition of the team and on the programme", Charles Michel stressed. These two aspects should be adopted at the summit on 27 and 28 June.
Ursula von der Leyen, the current President of the European Commission, is seeking a second term. In fact, she is the favourite for the post. Once appointed by the Heads of State, she will have to win the vote of a majority of Members of the European Parliament.
As President of the European Council, former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is tipped to succeed Charles Michel. For the post of High Representative, occupied by Spanish Socialist Josep Borrell, the name of Estonian Kaja Kallas is being put forward.
