Outgoing President of the European Council Donald Tusk held a press conference after German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was nominated as Commission president.
Outgoing President of the European Council Donald Tusk held a press conference after German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was nominated as Commission president.
The European Council, which is made up of all EU28 leaders, nominated von der Leyen on the third straight day of gruelling talks. She will be joined by Charles Michel as European Council president, Josep Borrell Fontelles as EU foreign policy chief, and Christine Lagarde to lead the European Central Bank.
"I’m really happy about it. After all, Europe is a woman. I think it was worth waiting for such an outcome," Tusk said of von der Leyen's nomination.
He said that the experience of Charles Michel as prime minister of Belgium will make him "an ideal person to create consensus within the European Council."
But the decision now lies in the European Parliament's hands, as it must approve von der Leyen's nomination by an absolute majority. "I am not a prophet," Tusk said about the parliament's future decision. "It’s not for me to assess what is the real chance to achieve success in the Parliament."
He added that European leaders "will do everything to convince" Parliament "to support this project".
You can watch this live event back in the above video player.