Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has been approached by the heads of State and Government of the EU seeking her support in the distribution of positions at European leadership. This issue will be discussed on Thursday and Friday, despite their discomfort because the list of names has already been agreed upon by the coalition of ‘popular’, socialists, and liberals.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reassured his Italian counterpart by reminding her that “there is no Europe without Italy” and that no decision can be made without her input. Tusk himself has been involved in negotiating the proposal that includes the renewal of Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission, the appointment of António Costa as president of the European Council, and the election of Kaja Kallas as head of European diplomacy.
However, this distribution was negotiated by three political groups without considering governments such as Italy, Hungary, and Czech Republic. This sparked criticism from Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who have threatened to oppose these appointments. However, other capitals insisted that a qualified majority is sufficient to move forward with this agreement.
Orbán openly criticized this agreement as “shameful” and a result of a “coalition of lies”. On her arrival in Brussels, Meloni refrained from making any public statements. Tusk showed support for having Giorgia Meloni on board and emphasized her importance in decision-making processes within EU.
Negotiations are ongoing with leaders leaving space for Meloni to outline her political priorities especially in areas such as migration. The hope is that dialogue among leaders during this summit will lead to a resolution on distributing senior positions. According to diplomatic sources, an agreement on ‘Top Jobs’ can be reached on this Thursday.
