EU leaders settle for Von der Leyen, Costa and Kallas for top jobs

Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen has been given the go ahead by EU leaders to serve a second term as European Commission president.

At a meeting in Brussels on Thursday night, national leaders also picked Portugal’s former prime minister António Costa and Estonia’s current Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as European Council president and foreign policy chief respectively.

Von der Leyen enjoys the support of the centrist coalition that groups together the European People’s Party, the Socialists & Democrats and the liberal Renew.

However, Von der Leyen will now have to be approved by the European Parliament later this month in a vote that may not be as clear cut. Although the three political groupings do have a majority between them, it is expected that as much as 10% of lawmakers could reject her bid. If this happens, Von der Leyen’s future could be in the balance unless she agrees to concessions to the far-right to secure the support of Giorgia Meloni’s Conservative and Reformist group.

Malta’s Roberta Metsola is the EPP’s nominee for a second half-term as European Parliament president. Metsola will also have to be approved by MEPs.