EU Summit – Anna Van Densky blog

European Union leaders will meet again on June 30 to seek agreement for distribution of the EU top jobs.

#EUCO My guess as “insider” they will have another Summit, end of June, may be on Sunday June 30 to fix issue of top jobs before new #Europarl starts session. pic.twitter.com/KBu5aZ8opR

— Anna van Densky (@AnnaVanDensky) June 20, 2019

“There was no majority for any candidate,” Council president Donald Tusk told a press conference. “We will meet again on June 30.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel declined to define her strategy in coming week, she said she will inform European People’s party and Manfred Weber about the findings of Donald Tusk report: none of the political families Spitzenkandidaten managed to get sufficient support. At the Summit Tusk was mandates to launch a new round of negociations with the European Parliament to define new candidates to be presented on Sunday at a special Summit.

#EUCO #Merkel said she will brief @EPP and @ManfredWeber about results of Council, and @eucopresident report on top jobs. She is loooking forward to next Council meeting on Sunday June 30. pic.twitter.com/mC3qfP8wwo

— Anna van Densky (@AnnaVanDensky) June 21, 2019

Earlier French President Emmanuel Macron criticized Spitzenkandidaten system, underlining it is not in the EU Treaty, and moreover those who promote it, refuse transnational lists for European elections, which he saw as contradiction.

#EUCO early morning hours June 21 #Macron criticises system of Spitzenkandidate “It is not in Treaty”, he said. He added that without transnational lists it is not functional. pic.twitter.com/5tN0WSG42n

— Anna van Densky (@AnnaVanDensky) June 21, 2019

A new Commission president must receive a clear majority of national leaders, and also acceptance of the new European Parliament, which will have the first Plenary session in Strasbourg on July 2.

Image above: European Parliament, Strasbourg

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According to EU diplomats the discussion at dinner moved towards Russia. However it is #Brexit, and Prime Minister Theresa May who attract the lion’s share of mass media attention. Hopefully she will come out for a first press conference tonight, or early morning hours to exchange with an international press corps. There is no tradition for #UK PM to held a conference after a first day of a #EU Summit, however his last visit to Brussels David Cameron changed the habit and appeared in front of press to say good buy. There is some hope in the air that PM Theresa May would not miss a chance to establish direct contact with an international press corps and will step out with her message tonigh.

Today’s May’s doorstep before enterning the meeting has been impressive: a ‘bolo punch’ to Russians, condeming air strikes in Syria. Apparently there are no air operation at the moment, however it served as a good maneuvre to switch attention from #Brexit problems to international politics challenges. One can guess that Syria’s conflict is not the most pressing issue for British political agenda, but after all political rethoric can’t be compared to a pshychiatrist’s couch, no one expects sincerity from heads of goverments:)

From Justus Lips, Consilium, Brussels, EU October Summit night