The European Council approved last night Ursula von der Leyen for a second term at the head of the European commission, BTA reported. This was announced by the President of the European Council Charles Michel at a press conference after the end of the meeting of the heads of state and government of the EU countries in Brussels.
He added that former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa was chosen as his successor as head of the European Council from December 1. Kaja Kalas, Prime Minister of Estonia, has been proposed as the next EU High Representative for foreign policy.
Mission accomplished, we exhausted the agenda already on the first day of the prepared two-day meeting, noted Michel. He added that it was a great pleasure and honor for him to announce the results of the meeting. According to him, the European Parliament must take up its responsibility in the coming weeks.
Decisions for Von der Leyen and Callas, as well as for the future European Commissioners, are subject to a vote by MEPs, with the vote on Von der Leyen's candidacy expected to be as early as July.
Von der Leyen expressed gratitude for the support received so far. It's a great honor, she said. Von der Leyen specified that Callas will be her deputy in the next EC.
Kaia Callas said that for her, voting in the European Council is a great honor and carries a huge responsibility. My goal is to work for European unity, to protect the interests and values of the EU, she added.
For his part, the former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, elected as the next president of the European Council, said that he will make every effort to support the unity of the 27 member states, Reuters reported, quoted by BTA.
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He said he would take on the new responsibility with a "tremendous sense of mission" and added that he will "focus on the implementation of the strategic program approved today" that will guide the EU for the next five years.
"As president of the European Council, from December 1 I will be fully committed to promoting unity among the 27 member states," Costa wrote on his "Ex" profile.
Costa, 62, stepped down as Portugal's prime minister last November amid an investigation into alleged wrongdoing by his government over several major investment projects. He denies wrongdoing and has not been charged with any crime. Tonight, EU leaders chose him to succeed Belgium's Charles Michel as president, at a summit attended by the bloc's national leaders.
Košta is a moderate socialist from a center-left party. Now he will have to build bridges between heads of state and government in a fragmented Europe where the far right is on the rise. He himself stated that he wants to work closely with von der Leyen and Callas "in a spirit of loyal cooperation between the European institutions".