The special EU summit focused on assigning top posts ended without reaching a final agreement.
EU Council President Charles Michel reported that while discussions were intensive, no decision was made.
Michel indicated that more clarity is expected at the regular EU summit at the end of next week.
Key Positions in Question
The re-nomination of Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as President of the European Commission remains likely, but a final decision has not been reached.
As Tagesschau reports, von der Leyen has received support from various heads of state and government, who praised her work over the past five years. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic noted that no one had questioned her position.
But the main sticking point in the negotiations is the successor to Charles Michel as Council President.
The European People's Party (EPP) is pushing for a regulation that would set a two-and-a-half-year term for the new Council President, which is opposed by the Social Democrats.
Another important topic of discussion was the successor to EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a strong supporter of Ukraine, is being considered for this role.
Former Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa is also a potential candidate for a top post.
After the summit, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte expressed hope for an agreement soon, emphasizing that the current negotiations were not a "raffle" like after the last European elections in 2019.
Decisions in the European Council require a reinforced qualified majority, meaning at least 20 of the 27 EU states must agree, representing at least 65 percent of the total population.
