EU leaders agree top jobs, Meloni and Orbán hold out

EU leaders agreed on the bloc's political leadership for the next five years at a summit in Brussels despite resistance from the leaders of Italy and Hungary, Georgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán.

Ursula von der Leyen was accepted as president of the European Commission, António Costa as president of the European Council, and Kaja Kallas as the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

Leaders on Thursday also approved the Strategic Agenda, a document with broad brushstrokes of ambitions that is meant to guide the future work of the three appointees.

Von der Leyen and Kallas's nominations are not final and still require confirmation by the European Parliament. By contrast, Costa, a former prime minister of Portugal, is automatically elected by his former peers. He will take office on 1 December.

Meloni voted against Costa and Kallas, and abstained on von der Leyen, several diplomats told Euronews. Orbán voted against von der Leyen, abstained on Kallas and supported Costa.

"I would plain and simply like to express my gratitude to the leaders who endorsed my nomination for a second mandate," von der Leyen said of her nomination. "I am very honoured."

"It is with a strong sense of mission that I will take up the responsibility of being the next President of the European Council," Costa said, thanking his socialist family and the Portuguese government for their backing. "I will be fully committed to promoting unity between all 27 member states and focused on putting on track the Strategic Agenda."

"This is an enormous responsibility at this moment of geopolitical tensions," Kallas said in a statement, promising to work "with pleasure" with both von der Leyen and Costa. "I will be at the service of our common