At the summit held in Brussels, the 27 leaders of the European Union member states nominated Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as President of the European Commission. Also, the 27 national leaders of the bloc elected former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as President of the European Council, and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as EU foreign policy chief, IPN reports.
Premier Dorin Recean sent a congratulatory message to the European leaders. “Through joint work we can bring Moldova to its rightful place in the great family of European Union member states. I look forward to working together to build a more robust, secure and united Europe,” stressed the Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova.
Mediafax.ro said the trio had gained broad support from leaders, but diplomats said right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni abstained from voting for von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Kallas. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voted against a second term for Ursula von der Leyen, abstained from voting for Kaja Kallas as EU foreign policy chief and voted in favor of Antonio Costa as president of the European Council, an EU diplomat said.
Von der Leyen’s nomination still needs the approval of the European Parliament in a secret ballot.
Roberta Metsola will remain at the helm of the European Parliament.
