Ursula von der Leyen, the outgoing President of the European Commission, is expected to remain in her position, but nothing has been yet decided. According to Mark Rutte, the acting Dutch Prime Minister, the candidate from the European People’s Party (EPP), which secured the most seats in the European Parliament elections, is suitable for continuing EU policy. He made this statement on Monday in Brussels before the informal working dinner of EU leaders.
The heads of state and government forming the European Council were meeting in Brussels on Monday to discuss nominations for leadership positions in the European Council and the European Commission, as well as for the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
Speaking to journalists before the meeting, Mark Rutte stated that the soon-to-be-formed new Dutch government would continue the same foreign policy as the current one, concerning EU affairs, NATO, and support for Ukraine. ‘Nothing will change regarding Europe, NATO, and Ukraine, that is clear,’ he said.
Rutte has strong ambitions and growing chances to be the next NATO Secretary General. While earlier there were other countries as well beside Hungary, including Türkiye, that were against Mark Rutte’s nomination, he now seems to have a practically unanimous backing. The Hungarian government has opposed Rutte due to the exiting Dutch PM’s unfriendly remarks about Hungary.
However, with the escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, Hungary is now be seeking to obtain strong guarantees
that it will not be forced to participate in any NATO engagement in Ukraine in the future. In exchange, as the comments by the Hungarian PM and Mark Rutte after their meeting yesterday in Brussels suggest, Hungary may show goodwill and endorse the former Dutch premier’s candidacy. Rutte in fact told the press that he is ‘cautiously optimistic’ about Hungary, and noted that Viktor Orbán did not demand an apology in connection with Rutte’s infamous remarks about the need to ‘bring Hungary to its knees’.
As far as the idea of nominating von der Leyen again as next Commission President is concerned, Orbán, however, did not mince his words. He declared on X that ‘the will of the European people was ignored’ in Brussels on Monday evening, and stated that the EPP eventually teamed up with ‘the socialists and the liberals’.
The will of the European people was ignored today in Brussels.
— Orbán Viktor (@PM_ViktorOrban) June 17, 2024
The result of the European election is clear: right-wing parties got stronger, the Left and the liberals lost ground. The EPP, on the other hand, instead of listening to the voters, finally teamed up with the…
In response to a question upon his arrival, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed confidence that EU leaders would reach an agreement on the new Commission President as soon as possible. Scholz emphasized the importance of a quick decision, given the challenging times and the need for clarity about Europe’s future.
Portuguese Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said that if EU leaders nominated former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa for the Presidency of the European Council, the Lisbon government would support the proposal. ‘We support him not just out of national pride but because we want someone who represents a Europe of peace, economic competitiveness, and a strong internal market that does not forget the rule of law and fundamental rights,’ Montenegro stated. Montenegro added that, amid global instability, the EU must avoid a deadlock in selecting its institutional leaders. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen confirmed that former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa would be a good candidate for leading the European Council.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris noted a ‘likely emerging consensus’ for Ursula von der Leyen to remain as European Commission President. However, he did not expect a final decision at the Monday dinner but hoped for a conclusion by the end of June. ‘I don’t think Irish or European citizens would be grateful if politicians here in Brussels spent weeks discussing roles when there are so many pressing issues at European and global levels,’ Harris remarked. Harris mentioned he had not heard of any other candidate for the Commission Presidency besides Ursula von der Leyen and expressed support for António Costa as European Council President and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, calling them both ‘good people.’
Slovak President Peter Pellegrini, attending the European Council dinner on behalf of Prime Minister Robert Fico, stressed the need for caution in choosing who represents the EU internationally.
‘We need someone who can manage the current, highly tense situation,’ he said.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis confirmed his support for Ursula von der Leyen’s next five-year term. When asked why he supports von der Leyen, Mitsotakis replied: ‘Because she was our Spitzenkandidat, because the EPP won the European Parliament elections, and because she has been an excellent President of the European Commission.’
Roberta Metsola, the outgoing President of the European Parliament, announced her desire to be re-elected for another two-and-a-half-year term at the EP’s plenary session in Strasbourg starting on 16 July.
Related articles:
