Premier Giorgia Meloni abstained from the EU summit vote that nominated former German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission chief.
In the EU summit vote, Meloni voted No to former Portuguese Premier Antonio Costa as the new European Council chair and to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the new EU foreign policy chief.
Meloni criticised the pre-summit deal between von der Leyen’s European People’s Party (EPP), Costa’s Socialists and Democrats (S&D), and Kallas’s liberal Renew Europe to nominate the trio, calling it “wrong in method and substance.”
She reiterated her view that the agreement between the European Parliament’s biggest pro-European groups ignored the European electorate’s will. In the recent elections, the right made gains and her European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group narrowly overtook the liberals as the third-largest force in the EP.
“The proposal formulated by the popular, socialist and liberal parties for the new European summits is wrong in method and substance,” said Meloni on X. “I decided not to support it out of respect for the citizens and the indications that came from those citizens in the elections. Let us continue working to finally give Italy the weight it deserves in Europe.”
Meloni also stated it would be “shameful” if the European establishment penalised Italy because of her choice to abstain on von der Leyen and vote against the other two top job nominations. “I don’t agree that a contrary vote puts at risk our position in the EU,” she said. “It would be disgraceful if they made us pay,” Meloni added after the summit ended late into the night following a long dinner.
Meloni seems to have forgotten she said she would “be happy to stay in opposition” if the right majority could not be determined.
Hungary votes against von der Leyen
Meloni’s ally Viktor Orban voted against von der Leyen, in favour of Costa, and abstained on Kallas. Although the approval of only 15 of the 27 member states was enough to secure the nominations, the European Parliament’s secret voting next month could challenge the EPP, S&D, and Renew Europe majority.
To avoid so-called ‘sniping,’ the majority may be broadened to include the Greens. However, Italy has been pushing for the ECR to be included in the majority at the expense of the Greens, despite a veto from the Socialists who labelled the ECR a “far-right” grouping.
