European leaders have reached out to Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni for her support in the distribution of senior positions at the European leadership. Despite initial discomfort, a coalition of ‘popular’, socialists, and liberals has already agreed on a list of names.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reassured his Italian counterpart by emphasizing the importance of Italy’s role in decision-making and the need for collaboration among all leaders. However, Tusk was one of the negotiators in the proposal that renewed Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission, appointed António Costa as president of the European Council, and elected Kaja Kallas as the replacement for Josep Borrell as head of European diplomacy.
The distribution of senior positions was negotiated by the three political groups without considering the governments of Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. This led to criticism from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who threatened to oppose the appointments. However, other capitals argue that a qualified majority is sufficient to move forward with an agreement.
Tusk sought to ease tensions with Meloni by clarifying that unrest in Rome was due to a misunderstanding. He emphasized Italy’s role in decision-making and expressed his support for having Giorgia Meloni on board during negotiations. Diplomatic sources believe that an agreement on the distribution of positions may be reached during
