European Union (EU) leaders have agreed to nominate Ursula von der Leyen from Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body, Reuters reports.
At the summit in Brussels, the bloc's 27 national leaders also chose former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa as the next president of European Council meetings and chose Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
This represents continuity at the top of the bloc of around 450 million people, with centrist pro-EU factions holding onto the top seats despite the rise of the far right in European Parliament elections earlier this month.
The trio won broad support, but right-wing Italian Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni abstained from voting on von der Leyen and voted against Costa and Callas, according to diplomats, according to Reuters.
Meloni said on the X social network that she decided not to support the leadership list "out of respect for the citizens and the indications that came from those citizens during the election."
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, another right-winger, voted against von der Leyen and did not vote for Callas, diplomats said.
Von der Leyen's nomination still needs the approval of the European Parliament in a secret ballot - which is seen as trickier than being endorsed by EU leaders.
"It's about convincing - if possible - the broad majority for a strong Europe," von der Leyen said. "I will work for this."
The leadership package is balanced politically and geographically. Von der Leyen comes from the center right, Košta from the center left and Kalas from the European liberal group.
"This is a huge responsibility in this time of geopolitical tensions. There is war in Europe, but there is also growing instability at the global level," Kalas told reporters.
Košta said that in his new role he will be "fully committed to promoting unity among the 27 member states".
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