Italian Prime Minister Meloni’s Role in EU Leadership Distribution: Navigating Politics and Diplomacy Amid Controversy

The Italian Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has been reached out to by the heads of State and Government of the EU for her support in distributing senior positions at the European leadership. This issue will be discussed on Thursday and Friday despite discomfort because the list of names has already been agreed upon by the coalition of ‘popular’, socialists, and liberals.

The Polish Prime Minister, Donald Tusk, reassured his Italian counterpart by reminding her that “there is no Europe without Italy” and that no decision can be made without her input. Tusk himself was involved in negotiating the proposal that includes renewing Ursula von der Leyen as head of the European Commission, appointing António Costa as president of the European Council, and electing Kaja Kallas as head of European diplomacy.

However, this distribution was negotiated without considering the governments of Italy, Hungary, and the Czech Republic which sparked criticism from leaders such as Viktor Orbán who threatened to oppose any appointments made. Despite this opposition from some capitals, a qualified majority is still sufficient to move forward with an agreement on these appointments.

Tusk has shown support for having Giorgia Meloni on board and emphasized the importance of Italy in decision-making processes within the EU. Negotiations are ongoing with leaders leaving space for Meloni to outline her political priorities especially in areas such as migration where dialogue among leaders during this summit is hoped to lead to a resolution on distribution of positions. Diplomatic sources believe an agreement on the ‘Top Jobs’ can be reached on this Thursday.