EU Leadership Shakeup: New Faces for Top Posts

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz announced an agreement among three main centrist groups in the European Parliament on selecting Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as head of the EU's executive body. Additionally, Antonio Costa is proposed for chairing EU leader meetings, and Kaja Kallas for EU foreign policy chief.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz confirmed on Wednesday the three main centrist groups in the European parliament had agreed on the top European Union posts, selecting Ursula von der Leyen for a second term as head of the EU's powerful executive body.

The groups had also agreed Portuguese ex-premier Antonio Costa should be chair of meetings of EU national leaders and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas should be EU foreign policy chief, he told the Bundestag lower house of parliament.

"This is for now, just the position of three party groups but they have a majority in parliament," he said. "Therefore I hope very much the European Council that meets tomorrow will reach this agreement."