Kallas assures that Meloni informed him that he is not seeking any senior position in the EU for his group

June 20 () –

The Prime Minister of Estonia, Kaja Kallas, a candidate for the position of High Representative of Foreign Policy of the EU, has stated that the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, confirmed to her at the summit on Monday that she would not seek for her group, Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), no positions within the so-called ‘top jobs’ in community jargon.

Meloni has publicly complained that the popular, social democrats and liberals have negotiated the distribution on their own, despite the fact that in the last European elections an advance by the ultra-conservative forces was consolidated. ECR is already the third bloc with the most MEPs, ahead of the liberals – which includes the Kallas Reform Party -.

However, the head of the Estonian Government has stated that she had the opportunity to speak with Meloni during the informal leaders’ dinner and she confirmed that she would not pressure ECR to obtain a ‘top job’. Kallas has also defended the current negotiating framework, alleging that groups with more “common” political criteria are brought together, reports ERR television.

In this sense, she has pointed out that the group now led by Meloni’s Brothers of Italy is “very different” from the one that existed when she was an MEP and the British Conservative Party was still part of this family. “I hope we can find common ground with ECR in the future,” she added.

However, he has also ruled out that Italy could be marginalized in the future of the EU, given its specific weight within the bloc.

TALKS

The Estonian Prime Minister has limited the meetings between the popular, social democratic and liberal negotiators to “organizational” issues and, given the marginalization that leaders of other groups complain about, she has indicated that “no one particularly liked” the format.

Thus, he suggested that in other circumstances there should have been a second phase of contacts “in smaller groups” and to speak “in more detail”, but he explained that this stage was “canceled” by order of the Council presidency. “I don’t know the reason. It certainly bothered everyone,” he admitted.

On the other hand, Kallas has justified that she herself was not part of the small group of leaders who negotiated on behalf of their respective families – the French Emmanuel Macron and the Dutch Mark Rutte in the case of the liberals -. Yes, her integration was considered, but before knowing that she could aspire to a high position.

“When my colleagues thought I could be a candidate, I told myself that I could not act as a negotiator if I was also the subject of discussion,” argued the Estonian leader, who if elected as head of European diplomacy would be forced to resign as first minister before taking up her new position.