What Happened: EU leaders are holding an extraordinary European Council meeting on May 28 to discuss the results of the European Parliament elections and the appointment of high-level EU posts during the next European Council in June, Deutsche Welle reported May 28.
Why It Matters: France will likely push for a political decision to appoint the next leader of the European Commission, while Germany has been favoring a selection process known as "spitzenkandidat," or "lead candidate." And according to reports, Spain has expressed interest in receiving the new commission's foreign policy portfolio, while Italy is interested in obtaining a seat on the board of the European Central Bank (ECB) and a commissioner post related to competition, industry or agriculture.
Background: The two largest parties in the European Parliament, the European People's Party (EPP) and the Socialists and Democrats (S&D), lost considerable ground to smaller parties, including the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE), the European Greens and some euroskeptic forces. EU leaders will have to appoint the leaders of key EU institutions in the coming months, including the European Commission and the ECB.
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