(26 Jun 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Berlin – 26 June 2024
1. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at German parliament
2. Wide of parliament
3. Scholz talking to lawmakers
4. Ministers standing
5. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
"Namely that Antonino Costa will be the future president of the European Council, that Ursula von der Leyen will be the president of the European Commission and that the Baltic politician Kaja Kallas will be the high representative. These are, from my point of view, good line-ups and are clear decisions for a good European future.”
6. Audience applauding
7. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
“We cannot afford an impasse in these difficult times; our citizens don’t expect an argument about jobs, but quick work in the European institutions."
8. Audience applauding
9. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
“Three out of four Germans, three out of four Europeans, don’t vote for populist and extremist parties but for pro-European forces, and we are obligated to them — and that must not go under (the radar) in the discussion now – three of four in Europe."
10. Close of audience
11. SOUNDBITE (German) Olaf Scholz, German Chancellor:
“That’s why I pushed for the Commission not to make itself dependent in the (European) parliament on extremist and populist forces. That would have been a bad gamble. We need more unity and not less – so it’s good that there is a clear majority for constructive and pro-European parties in the European Parliament, and I expect the future Commission to draw precisely on such a majority in the parliament.”
12. Wide of audience applauding
STORYLINE:
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Wednesday lauded the European Union’s proposed leadership for the coming years as the basis for “a good European future" and urged his fellow national leaders to agree on the posts at a summit this week.
Three mainstream political groups agreed that German conservative Ursula von der Leyen should get a second term as the president of the EU’s executive Commission, while former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa, a socialist, should take the helm of the European Council, the forum where the 27 member countries are represented.
He would succeed Charles Michel in chairing EU summits.
The proposal would make Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, a staunch supporter of Ukraine and a pro-business liberal, the EU’s top diplomat — succeeding Josep Borrell.
It now needs the support of EU leaders, and von der Leyen will have to face a secret ballot in the European Parliament to win re-election.
“We cannot afford an impasse in these difficult times; our citizens don’t expect an argument about jobs, but quick work in the European institutions," Scholz told lawmakers in Berlin ahead of an EU summit on Thursday and Friday.
The European Parliament elections earlier this month brought gains for the far-right, notably in France and Germany, while those two countries’ governing parties performed very poorly.
In Germany, the mainstream conservative opposition bloc — to which von der Leyen belongs — was the strongest political force.
EU leaders failed to reach a final agreement on the candidates at an informal summit on June 17.
“Three out of four Germans, three out of four Europeans, don’t vote for populist and extremist parties but for pro-European forces, and we are obligated to them — and that must not go under (the radar) in the discussion now,” Scholz said.
AP video shot by Fanny Brodersen. Production by Kerstin Sopke
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