The leaders of the countries of the European Union at the summit in Brussels approved the candidates for the leadership of the bloc for the next five years.
The EU has a new, although it would be more correct to say updated, leadership. Ursula von der Leyen will remain president of the European Commission, former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa will replace Charles Michel as head of the European Council, and current Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will be high representative of EU for foreign affairs instead of Josep Borrell. All three candidates are centrist politicians and members of moderate parties.
Unconditional support for Ukraine
Kaja Kallas, the first woman Prime Minister of Estonia, is loved by everyone at home and across Europe for her liberal views, commitment to European values and unconditional support for Ukraine after the invasion of Russia. Callas is a restless critic of the Kremlin and Vladimir Putin.
Russian authorities put him on the wanted list because, under his government, monuments to Soviet soldiers were dismantled in Estonia.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, commenting on the European Union leadership appointments on Friday, bluntly stated that “the prospects for relations between Moscow and Brussels are bad.”
Meanwhile, Kallas said his appointment was “a big responsibility at a time of geopolitical tension” and thanked his colleagues for their trust.
Ursula von der Leyen is also known for her support for Ukraine. One of its first tasks will be to find ways for Brussels to further support Kyiv.
socialist
António Costa was Prime Minister of Portugal for almost nine years and resigned in April this year. He was a lawyer by training and a socialist by belief.
Costa expressed his approval of the nominations of Kaja Kallas and Ursula von der Leyen: “I am confident that our cooperation will be successful in our service to Europe and European citizens.”
He said he gratefully welcomes the nomination for the new post, although it comes at a testing time not only for Europe, but for the whole world.
“However, the European Union has shown its stability in the past, always finding strength in unity, and building unity among member states will be my main priority when I take office in December, with the main task of implementing the strategic agenda approved today by the European Council,” Antonio Costa said on Friday.
It is expected that Roberta Metsola, who, like von der Leyen, represents the EPP group, will be reappointed as President of the European Parliament for a new term; this decision, however, remains with the European Parliament.
Source: korrespondent
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