EU leaders agree to reappoint Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president

The leaders of the 27 member states of the European Union meeting at a summit in Brussels agreed, late Thursday, June 27, to grant a second mandate to Ursula von der Leyen at the head of the European Commission. The reappointment of the German conservative leader must be confirmed by an absolute majority of MEPs.

The outcome of the vote, expected in mid-July, is uncertain because the usual coalition of conservatives, socialists and liberals in the European Parliament was weakened during the European elections in June with the strong surge of the far right.

To embody the face of EU diplomacy against the backdrop of the war in Ukraine, the heads of state and government have chosen Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a determined opponent of the Kremlin. This 47-year-old liberal will succeed the Spaniard Josep Borrell. “I am honored by the support of the European Council, it is an enormous responsibility. The war in Europe, the growing instability in our neighborhood and in the world are the main challenges of European foreign policy”, she wrote on X. The appointment of Kaja Kallas will still have to be approved by the European Parliament.

Finally, the leaders of the 27 member states appointed former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the new president of the European Council, the body that brings together the member states. “I am delighted with the decision of the European Council to propose Ursula von der Leyen as President of the European Commission and to appoint Kaja Kallas as High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy”greeted Antonio Costa on X.