White smoke for the top three European officials came out of the Brussels Summit in the early hours of Friday. EU leaders elect Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission president for a second term, former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa for president of the European Council and Estonia Kaya Kalas for High Representative of the Union for foreign policy matters.

“Mission accomplished”, “we succeeded”, said the President of the European Council, Charles Michelexpressing his satisfaction with the agreement reached in the European Council on the three persons who assume the leadership of the EU and the Strategic Agenda of the period 2024-2029.

S. Michel announced that the European Council decided that the former Prime Minister of Portugal, Antonio Costa, will succeed him in the presidency of the European Council, while Ursula der Leyen was given the green light to assume for another five years the Presidency of the Commission and to the Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaya Kalas, to take the position of High Representative.

Taking the floor, h Ursula von der Leyen she expressed her gratitude to European leaders for endorsing her candidacy for a 2nd term. “I am happy to share this moment with my friends Antonio Costa and Kaya Callas,” said the President of the Commission. She stressed that the next step is to seek confirmation from the European Parliament, after presenting her political guidelines.

Asked to comment on the abstention of the Italian prime minister during the vote on her candidacy, Ursula von der Leyen replied: “It is important to cooperate in the European Council with Italy, as with all other countries. This is the principle I always follow.”

“I am truly honored to be appointed EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Your trust means a lot”, said for her part, Kaya Kalas. “I am very happy to work together with Ursula and Antonio Costa. We will make a very good team to achieve the EU’s goals.” He added that the next step will be its hearing and its support by the European Parliament.

THE Antonio Costa, who spoke via video conference during the press conference, also expressed his satisfaction at working with Ursula von der Leyen and Kaya Kalas. “Building unity among member states will be my priority when I take office in December,” he said.

Following its approval by the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen’s candidacy will have to be approved by a vote in the European Parliament, which will likely take place on July 18, at the first Plenary Session of the new European Parliament, in Strasbourg. For its approval they need at least 361 votes out of a total of 720 MEPs.

On Tuesday, six negotiators from the three main centrist political groups in the European Parliament agreed on von der Leyen, Costa and Callas for the European posts.

The six negotiators who had reached an agreement are Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk (for the European People’s Party), the Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez and the German Chancellor Olaf Solz (for the Socialists), the French President Emmanuel Macron and the Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte (for the Liberals).

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni reportedly abstained from voting for Ms. von der Leyen, while voting against Costa and Callas, while Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán voted against the German Commission president, voted for Antonio Costa and abstained for Kalas.

Georgia Meloni has criticized the deal to share top seats in the EU institutions, saying it ignores the wishes expressed by voters in the European elections.

Categorically opposed Viktor Orban, attending the Summit, also stated the agreement.

“The proposal of the People’s Party, the Socialists and the Liberals, for the new heads of the European institutions is wrong in terms of its method and substance,” Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni wrote in “X”.

“I decided not to support her, out of respect for the citizens and the suggestions they gave us” in the European elections. “We continue to work, to ensure – finally – for Italy, the weight it deserves in Europe”, added the Italian Prime Minister.

This post was made after the conclusion of the dinner of the European leaders in Brussels.