Von der Leyen reportedly nominated for second term as European Commission president

EU leaders have reportedly nominated European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen for a second term, Politico reported on June 25, citing five EU officials.

Von der Leyen's bid for a second term was buoyed by the European Parliament elections earlier in June.

The center-right European People's Party (EPP), which includes von der Leyen's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), remains the largest grouping with 189 seats.

The decision still has to be formalized at the European Council summit on June 27-28, and then approved by members of the European Parliament (MEPs).

Von der Leyen will therefore have to seek support from MEPs in the coming weeks, as her bid requires approval from more than half of the European Parliament's 720 seats.

As a strong supporter of Ukraine, von der Leyen previously ruled out working with Kremlin-friendly parties.

According to Politico, Kaja Kallas was also approved as the next EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, a position currently held by Josep Borrell.

Antonio Costa will reportedly be the next president of the European Council, a position held by Charles Michel.

The decision was negotiated by six EU leaders, namely Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

Why European elections matter for Ukraine

Starting on June 6, citizens of the European Union will head to the voting booths to elect the bloc’s 720-member European Parliament. The election, held between June 6 and June 9 and often downplayed as irrelevant by voters, will have a major impact on EU domestic and foreign policy, among

The Kyiv IndependentMartin Fornusek