French President Emmanuel Macron, who played a significant role in getting Ursula von der Leyen to become the President of the Commission, is now examining who else could lead the EU’s executive body after the EP elections this June.
The French head of state is negotiating with colleagues such as Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to find a new candidate for the leadership position, the news agency learned. Mario Draghi, former President of the European Central Bank and Italian Prime Minister, has also been mentioned as a possible candidate.
However, Brussels officials, including those within von der Leyen’s office, who spoke to the news agency, do not know whether Macron is really looking for von der Leyen’s successor or whether he is pressuring her to extract political concessions.
Cover photo: Mario Draghi, former president of the European Central Bank, former Italian prime minister, speaks at the European Pillar of Social Rights (EPSR) conference in La Hulpe, Belgium on April 16, 2024. Source: MTI Photo/Olivier Hoslet
