EU leaders gather on Monday to decide who to appoint to key roles
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Horse-trading for key European roles is to begin on Monday when leaders gather for an informal meeting of the European Council.
Taoiseach Simon Harris will join his fellow leaders in Brussels to discuss the outcome of the European elections and its implications for appointments to the key EU institutions, including top jobs in the commission, parliament, and European Council.
The talks over dinner will include the appointment of the commission chief, a role which Ursula von der Leyen has held for five years and would like to extend for another term.
While members of Fine Gael, which is aligned to the same EPP group as von der Leyen, have said they will support the reappointment, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party have raised serious concerns around her handling of the Israel Gaza conflict.
The European Council, which is in charge of organising the informal dinner, did not initially invite von der Leyen to the meeting, despite her being a member.
“We understand that this is an informal dinner of the members of the European Council of which the president of the Commission is a member and therefore we expect her to be there,” a commission spokesperson told reporters last week.
It is understood she will attend the first session on the results of the European elections, but not the dinner.
Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Harris said: “The institutions of the EU will be central to addressing the challenges faced by all Europeans and to delivering common solutions.
“It is therefore incumbent on us as the leaders of the member states to nominate the right team to lead these institutions for the next five years, taking into account the democratic wishes of our citizens as expressed in the European elections.”
Mr Harris said Europe is facing many challenges and great uncertainties, citing the war in Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East.
“Climate change is gravely damaging the health of our planet and impacting on people all around the world.
“It is therefore imperative that we, as the European Council, complete our work on the appointments to the EU institutions as quickly as possible and encourage the new European Parliament to do so also.
“The people of Europe need and deserve stability and direction if we are to tackle these many complex challenges that require collective action.”
It is not expected that any decisions will be made at Monday’s meeting. However, leaders hope to be in a position to formalise decisions at another meeting of the EU Council at the end of June.