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.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © Copyright ANSA
