European Union leaders gather in Brussels for a summit to decide on top appointments and strategic agenda.
The European Council will be deciding on the four top appointments of the Union, which will guide the work of the next Commission. The heads of state will also discuss the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyi expressed gratitude for the EU’s support and thanked them for starting official membership negotiations with Ukraine earlier this week. The decision to begin negotiations was made in December, but only began now, with Zelenskyi emphasizing its importance to Ukraine.
If there are no surprises at the meeting, Ursula von der Leyena of Germany’s Christian Democrats will continue to lead the EU Commission, Antonio Costa of Portugal’s Socialists will become President of the European Council, Kaja Kalla of Estonia’s Liberals will become High Representative of EU foreign relations, and Roberta Metsola of Malta’s Christian Democrats will continue as Speaker of Parliament. Finland is represented at the summit by Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, who expressed satisfaction with progress made on both appointment package and content matters. Italy is represented by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, seeking greater visibility in EU decision-making processes due to size and relevance.
