No decision on top EU jobs without Meloni says Tusk

(ANSA) - ROME, JUN 27 - Polish Prime Minister Donaldo Tusk said ahead of the EU summit in Brussels Thursday that there could be no decision on the EU top jobs without Premier Giorgia Meloni.
    He said the preliminary negotiations between the top three groups - the European People's Party (EPP), the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) and the liberal Renew Europe - which came up with the trio of confirmed European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen of Germany, new European Council President Antonio Costa of Portugal and new foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas of Estonia "only serve to facilitate the process in this forum" and that "the decision is up to Meloni and the other leaders during the meeting of the European Council.
    "The only intention, and the only reason why we prepared this joint position, is to facilitate this process. And there is no decision without Prime Minister Meloni." Tusk stressed that "no one respects Giorgia Meloni more than me" and her apparent exclusion from the talks had been a "misunderstanding".
    A no vote to the triumvirate from Italy would not stop their appointment but such a move by a founding and important EU member would be politically significant. (ANSA).