Summary of the day
Leaders of the EU’s 27 member states met in Brussels for talks about Ukraine, the Middle East, defence and the bloc’s top jobs.
Late in the evening, they reached an agreement nominating Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as European Commission president. Giorgia Meloni abstained and Viktor Orbán voted against.
Former Portuguese prime minister António Costa was selected as the next European Council president.
Kaja Kallas, the Estonian prime minister, was picked for the job of high representative for foreign affairs.
Earlier in the day, the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, attended a session with the European leaders where he thanked them for support but also said the existing pressure on Russia is “not enough” and stressed the need to fulfil all promises.
In France, three politicians – Gabriel Attal, Jordan Bardella and Olivier Faure – participated in a heated televised debate ahead of Sunday’s election, discussing issues ranging from economic policy to immigration.
A poll published today put the far-right National Rally at 36% for Sunday’s first round. It was followed by the left-wing New Popular Front at 29%.
Orbán voted against von der Leyen, in favour of Costa
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán voted against Ursula von der Leyen and in favour of Costa, two diplomatic sources said. He abstained on Kaja Kallas.
Jennifer Rankin and Lili Bayer
