EU leaders choose von der Leyen to be re-elected as EU Commission president | Wilnesh News

EU leaders agreed to nominate Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the bloc’s powerful executive body.

At a summit in Brussels, 27 EU leaders also elected Portugal’s former prime minister Antonio Costa Served as future President of the European Council meetings and was elected Prime Minister of Estonia kaja kara as the next EU foreign policy chief.

“Mission accomplished! The European Council has delivered,” the agency’s current president, Charles Michel, told reporters early Friday morning.

The leadership plan represents continuity at the top of the EU of some 450 million people, although centrist pro-EU factions retain top jobs. The surge in far-right forces European Parliament elections earlier this month.

The trio won broad support, but right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained from the vote against von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Callas, according to diplomats.

Meloni said on

Another right-wing Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, voted against von der Leyen and not for Karas, diplomats said.

Von der Leyen’s nomination still needs to be approved by the European Parliament in a secret vote – something widely seen as trickier than getting her support from EU leaders.

“This is a question of convincing the majority of people, if possible, to support a strong Europe,” von der Leyen said. “That’s what I’m trying to work towards.”

Leadership is balanced politically and geographically. Von der Leyen is from the center-right, Costa is from the center-left, and Callas is from the European liberals.

“This is a huge responsibility in a time of geopolitical tension. There are wars in Europe, but there is also growing instability around the world,” Karas told reporters.

Costa explain In his new role, he will be “fully committed to promoting unity among the 27 member states”.

At this summit, the EU also Sign security agreement Discussions were held with Ukraine on how to strengthen the EU’s defense against Russia and the EU’s strategic priorities for the next five years were agreed.

Security deal underlines EU support for fighting in Kiev invasion of moscow This comes despite the uncertainty brought about by far-right victories in European elections, early elections in France and the November presidential election in the United States.

The agreement sets out the EU’s commitment to help Ukraine in nine security policy areas, including weapons deliveries, military training, defense industry cooperation and demining.

Michel said: “These commitments will help Ukraine defend itself against instability and deter future acts of aggression, and are more concrete proof of the EU’s strong determination to support Ukraine in the long term.”

The leader reiterated that he would support Ukraine as long as needed, stressing that “Russia must not win” and that Ukraine must take back the lands annexed by Moscow.

Ukraine war exposes EU’s lack of preparedness for conflict EU struggles to supply Kiev Having enough weapons to deal with Russia has prompted calls for greater EU defense system coordination and defense industry investment.

Diplomats said von der Leyen told the summit that the EU increased defense spending by 20% between 1999 and 2021, China by 600% and Russia by 300%, even increasing significantly after Moscow invaded Ukraine in 2022. before military spending.

Von der Leyen told leaders the EU needs to invest 500 billion euros ($535.3 billion) in defense over the next 10 years, according to diplomats. Financing options include state contributions, dedicated revenue streams known as the EU’s own resources and joint borrowings, von der Leyen said.

Defense investment is EU’sstrategic agendaLeaders plan to agree before Thursday’s dinner on a document that tells EU institutions what European governments want them to focus on during their 2024-2029 term.

In addition to defence, the agenda calls for a more competitive EU that can withstand economic pressure from China and the United States and prepare for EU enlargement, including UkraineMoldova and the Western Balkans.