EU leaders finalize key positions despite internal opposition

European Union leaders have agreed on the allocation of crucial EU positions. Ursula von der Leyen will be re-elected as the President of the European Commission for a second term. Antonio Costa will be the President of the European Council, and Kaja Kallas will be the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The leaders of the 27 EU countries decided on Thursday before midnight on the division of the highest EU positions. Ursula von der Leyen will remain the President of the European Commission, Portuguese Antonio Costa will be the President of the European Council, and Estonian Kaja Kallas will be the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

However, the new leaders were not unanimously elected at the European Council meeting. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban opposed the appointments. Meloni opposed Costa, and Orban opposed von der Leyen. The Italian Prime Minister abstained from voting on von der Leyen.

The President of the European Commission is elected by the heads of state and government in the European Council. According to the treaty, the candidate must gain a qualified majority, which practically means the support of at least 15 member states. The new President must also be approved by the European Parliament.

The new President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, posted a message. "As President of the European Council from December 1, I will be fully committed to promoting unity among the 27 member states. I will focus on implementing the strategic program that was approved today and which will guide the European Union for the next five years," he stated.