Von der Leyen and Costa: Europe’s new dynamic duo
Four names. Two politicians. One power couple.
Despite their wildly dissimilar profiles, the two politicians appear to get along and to relish being part of a package deal. | Olivier Hoslet/EFE via EPA
JUNE 28, 2024
BY AITOR HERNÁNDEZ-MORALES AND BARBARA MOENS
BRUSSELS — The EU’s official motto is “united in diversity.”
That optimistic slogan could also be used to describe the warm and fuzzy relationship between Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa, who EU leaders backed on Thursday to serve as the next presidents of the European Commission and European Council, respectively.
It’s a stark departure from von der Leyen’s past five years, which has been spackled with infighting with her current European Council counterpart, Belgian Charles Michel. From coordinating itineraries on international trips so the pair don’t overlap to holding meetings with foreign dignitaries, the relationship never took off. In recent weeks, the bloc’s institutions’ offices were filled with rumors that Michel was gunning to take down von der Leyen by offering up the Greek prime minister in her place.
It created a tense, dysfunctional environment for collaboration among two of the EU’s most critical institutions as they navigated a global pandemic and the biggest war in Europe since World War II in neighboring Ukraine.
In the lead-up to Thursday’s summit, negotiators representing the two largest political families in the European Parliament — the European People’s Party and the Socialists — settled on a new combo that could finally bring peace to the Brussels bubble. Von der Leyen got the greenlight to stand for a second term as Commission president and Costa was tapped to replace Michel.
“Von der Leyen and Costa are tied together,” said one EU official who, like others quoted in this piece, was granted anonymity to discuss the EU’s top leadership.
It’s also a dynamic that works among the unspoken and unwritten rules around the EU’s top jobs. Typically, the 27 heads of state and government consider geographic, political and gender diversity in their appointments for the roles. In the case of von der Leyen and Costa, the official said von der Leyen and Costa’s “team-up” works because it respects those criteria.
“She’s a woman who belongs to the [European People’s Party] and comes from the North and he’s a Socialist who represents the South,” the official added.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who the bloc’s heads of government selected to serve as the EU’s top diplomat, rounded out the mix by representing Eastern European liberals.
“Everyone is happy,” the diplomat said.
The pandemic pair
Despite their wildly dissimilar profiles, the two politicians appear to get along and to relish being part of a package deal.
Following the Council’s announcement on Thursday, both gushed while speaking about one another. Costa said he was delighted to be part of a team with von der Leyen, while she spoke at length about his professionalism and sense of humor.
Von der Leyen, the descendant of a long line of northern German jurists and civil servants, is a physician who became active in conservative politics relatively late in life. After a rocky stint as defense minister in Berlin, she was unexpectedly boosted to the Commission presidency in 2019 thanks to a backroom deal forged by French President Emmanuel Macron and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Costa, a lawyer of Indo-Portuguese origin, is a lifelong socialist who got his start in local politics in Lisbon and steadily worked his way to the top. As Portuguese prime minister, he oversaw the country’s return from financial ruin. But his eight-year stint running the country ended in scandal, with his abrupt resignation in the midst of an influence-peddling probe
.
The roll-out of the vaccination campaign appears to have been crucial to cementing the good relations between the two politicians. | Carlos Costa/AFP via Getty Images
Despite belonging to rival political parties, von der Leyen and Costa appeared to campaign on each other’s behalf in the lead up to their Council confirmations.
Despite belonging to rival political parties, von der Leyen and Costa appeared to campaign on each other’s behalf in the lead up to their Council confirmations.
In an interview with POLITICO earlier this year, Costa spoke glowingly about von der Leyen, whom he described as “an exceptional Commission president” who has had “an extraordinary tenure.”
Costa is known in Brussels as being able to get along with anyone, regardless of their political background. The socialist became so friendly with the center-right Merkel that he was one of the select foreign leaders invited to a farewell dinner she held before stepping down in 2021, and he’s one of the few European prime ministers to have always had good relations with Hungarian strongman Viktor Orbán.
But Costa described his relationship with von der Leyen as being “especially close,” and attributed that to the work they did together during the “intense period” when Portugal held the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in 2021.
“We were still in the midst of the pandemic and during this period the war in Ukraine broke out, so we also had to deal with the energy and inflation crisis,” he recalled. “Von der Leyen and I worked together to overcome those challenges, and especially to move toward the launch of the large-scale vaccination process across the EU, which started during the Portuguese presidency.”
The roll-out of the vaccination campaign appears to have been crucial to cementing the good relations between the two politicians. Von der Leyen had staked her reputation on having 70 percent of the EU’s adults fully vaccinated by the end of summer 2021 and was under serious pressure to deliver. Costa put himself and the civil servants attached to his country’s Council presidency at the Commission president’s disposal to ensure she met that target.
In the years since then, von der Leyen may have fondly recalled the Portuguese politician’s willingness to work together as she struggled to coexist with her Belgian counterpart across Rue de la Loi.
While there has always been some tension between the Commission and the Council, previous holders of the highest offices have made a concerted effort to be productive together. José Manuel Barroso and Herman Van Rompuy, for example, met for lunch every week. But von der Leyen and Michel were never able to achieve such cordial relations. EU leaders reportedly took that toxic dynamic into account when discussing names for the top jobs package this time around.
Peace in our time?
At home in Lisbon, Costa has long demonstrated his ability to avoid drama and work well with his political counterparts. During his eight years as prime minister, the socialist politician deftly sidestepped confrontations with Portugal’s charismatic president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a constitutional law expert and former television commentator with a talent for making controversial statements.
Costa’s ability to avoid confrontations in Brussels is likewise well-known, and his popularity with other heads of government made him an early favorite for the Council post. Indeed, the interest in his potential candidacy stood in stark contrast to that of Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, whose name was also floated for the post, but who inspired far less enthusiasm among her European counterparts.
Even after Costa’s resignation last November, European leaders like Germany’s Olaf Scholz pushed to keep Costa in the running for the Council presidency. Many saw his selection to be one of the keynote speakers at the Commission’s ceremony honoring the late Jacques Delors in February as von der Leyen’s own attempt to ensure he remained visible at the EU level.
The Commission president has everything to gain by having a valued partner in the Council, one who is capable of ushering in a new period without public incidents that reflect negatively on the EU institutions. But his permanence in the post could be imperiled if von der Leyen’s reappointment is scuppered when her candidacy goes to a vote in the European Parliament, throwing off the delicate balance of candidates for the top jobs.
EU leaders have appointed Costa to an initial, two and a half year term as Council president. While all of his predecessors have served for two consecutive terms — occupying the office for a total of five years — the Portuguese socialist may have a difficult time remaining in the post if von der Leyen fails in her quest to remain in office.
“It would be hard to replace her with another female EPP member from Northern Europe,” said the diplomat, who argued that if the alternate candidate was a male politician from the south, it would undermine Costa’s shot at being Council president for two terms.
“This is a package deal,” the diplomat insisted, implying the political marriage between the German conservative and the Portuguese socialist would be for better or for worse.
EU leaders pick von der Leyen for second term as Commission chief • FRANCE 24 English
European Union leaders agreed to nominate Ursula von der Leyen of Germany for a second five-year term as president of the European Commission, the EU's powerful executive body. At a summit in Brussels, the bloc's 27 national leaders also picked former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as the future chair of their European Council meetings and selected Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
Meloni abstains on VDL, votes No to Costa and Kallas
Voters' will ignored, wd be disgrace if we were made to pay - PM
ROME, 28 June 2024
ANSA English Desk
Giorgia Meloni al Consiglio Europeo © ANSA/AFP
Premier Giorgia Meloni abstained in the EU summit vote that nominated former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission chief while voting No to former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as new European Council chair and to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as new EU foreign policy chief.
The Italian leader said 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 was "wrong in method and substance".
She also reiterated her view that the agreement between the European Parliament's biggest pro-European groups flew in the face of the European electorate's will expressed in the recent European elections where the right made gains and her European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group narrowly overtook the liberals as third biggest 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 the leader of Italy's ruling rightwing Brothers of Italy (FDI) party 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 said 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 said after the summit ended late into the night after a long dinner on Friday morning.
Meloni's ally Viktor Orban voted against von der Leyen, in favour of Costa and abstained on Kallas.
The approval of only 15 of the 27 members states was enough to secure approval for the nominations but it may be a different story in the European Parliament next month when secret voting could bring down the majority of the EPP, S&D and Renew on the triumvirate.
The majority may be broadened to avoid so-called 'sniping' to include the Greens, although 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 to what it called a "far right" grouping.
Voters' will ignored, wd be disgrace if we were made to pay - PM
ROME, 28 June 2024
ANSA English Desk
Giorgia Meloni al Consiglio Europeo © ANSA/AFP
Premier Giorgia Meloni abstained in the EU summit vote that nominated former German defence minister Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission chief while voting No to former Portuguese premier Antonio Costa as new European Council chair and to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas as new EU foreign policy chief.
The Italian leader said 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 was "wrong in method and substance".
She also reiterated her view that the agreement between the European Parliament's biggest pro-European groups flew in the face of the European electorate's will expressed in the recent European elections where the right made gains and her European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) group narrowly overtook the liberals as third biggest 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 the leader of Italy's ruling rightwing Brothers of Italy (FDI) party 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 said 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 said after the summit ended late into the night after a long dinner on Friday morning.
Meloni's ally Viktor Orban voted against von der Leyen, in favour of Costa and abstained on Kallas.
The approval of only 15 of the 27 members states was enough to secure approval for the nominations but it may be a different story in the European Parliament next month when secret voting could bring down the majority of the EPP, S&D and Renew on the triumvirate.
The majority may be broadened to avoid so-called 'sniping' to include the Greens, although 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 to what it called a "far right" grouping.
Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, European Council President Charles Michel, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Belgium's Prime Minister Alexander De Croo walk to a press conference during a European Union leaders' summit in Brussels, Belgium June 28, 2024. REUTERS/Yves Herman
JUN 28, 2024
MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Friday that the outlook for EU-Russia ties was bad after EU leaders nominated Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president and picked Estonia's Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the bloc's decision to nominate Germany's von der Leyen for a second five-year term would not change anything.
"Mrs von der Leyen is not in favour of normalising relations between the EU and Russia. That's how we know her, that's how we remember her. Nothing changes in this respect," said Peskov.
Though sometimes riven by divisions, the EU has mobilised to try to help Kyiv against Russia financially and militarily since President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Brussels has also imposed multiple packages of sanctions on Moscow to try to force it to withdraw its forces.
Commenting on the choice of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief, Peskov said she was known for her anti-Russian rhetoric.
"Mrs Kallas has not demonstrated any diplomatic inclinations so far either, and is well known in our country for her absolutely intransigent and sometimes even openly anti-Russian statements," he said.
"Therefore, we do not think that European diplomacy will contribute in any way to the normalisation of relations. The prospects, in terms of relations between Moscow and Brussels, are bad."
MOSCOW - The Kremlin said on Friday that the outlook for EU-Russia ties was bad after EU leaders nominated Ursula von der Leyen for another term as European Commission president and picked Estonia's Kaja Kallas as the next EU foreign policy chief.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters that the bloc's decision to nominate Germany's von der Leyen for a second five-year term would not change anything.
"Mrs von der Leyen is not in favour of normalising relations between the EU and Russia. That's how we know her, that's how we remember her. Nothing changes in this respect," said Peskov.
Though sometimes riven by divisions, the EU has mobilised to try to help Kyiv against Russia financially and militarily since President Vladimir Putin sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Brussels has also imposed multiple packages of sanctions on Moscow to try to force it to withdraw its forces.
Commenting on the choice of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief, Peskov said she was known for her anti-Russian rhetoric.
"Mrs Kallas has not demonstrated any diplomatic inclinations so far either, and is well known in our country for her absolutely intransigent and sometimes even openly anti-Russian statements," he said.
"Therefore, we do not think that European diplomacy will contribute in any way to the normalisation of relations. The prospects, in terms of relations between Moscow and Brussels, are bad."
REUTERS
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