France’s Macron hopes to have deal on top EU jobs quickly

BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy (Reuters) – French President Emmanuel Macron said on Friday he was hopeful that decisions on the top jobs for the next European Commission could be decided next week.

European Union leaders meet on Monday for an informal summit where they will discuss jobs, including the chairman of EU leaders’ summits and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, before confirming those roles at a later EU summit on June 28-29.

“I hope that we will be able to reach an accord quickly,” Macron told reporters at the end of the G7 summit in Italy.

“It’s possible. It seems that it’s possible in the coming days, the week to come,” he said.

On the sidelines of the G7 summit, Macron held informal talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.

Von der Leyen’s centre-right European People’s Party remained the biggest group in this month’s European parliamentary elections, meaning it will determine who is appointed to the most powerful job in the EU institutions – the head of the executive Commission.

The other jobs would be given to the Socialist & Democrats, the second largest parliamentary group and Scholz’ political grouping, and liberal Renew Europe, Macron’s camp, who are likely to revive their governing alliance.

(Reporting by John Irish; Editing by Sudip Kar-Gupta and Alistair Bell)