Leaders of EU countries reconvene for top EU positions

By Serife Cetin

BRUSSELS (AA) - Leaders of the EU countries reconvened in Brussels on Tuesday to discuss who should take over the top positions of EU institutions.

Speaking to reporters, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said everyone needs to change their attitude in order to reach an agreement.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that they support Frans Timmermans becoming the next EU Commission president.

Timmermans, currently the commission’s first vice-president, is the leading candidate of the Party of European Socialists for the position.

However, the countries of the Visegrad group (the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia) are objecting, citing Timmermans’ ideas on migration policy.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said he would be glad to see a woman take the EU Commission helm.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Matteo Salvini complained of domination by heavyweights France and Germany of the process of filling the posts.

"There will be no Italian support for a solution that will please the Germans and the French," he said.

Following an 18-hour summit on Monday, EU leaders were unable to decide who should take over the bloc’s top jobs.

* Contribution by Senhan Bolelli from Madrid, writing by Fatih Hafiz Mehmet in Ankara