After inviting them to exchange views over breakfast on Friday, the President-elect of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will meet several presidents of the European Parliament's pro-European political groups on Monday 21 October, alongside the European Parliament plenary session (see EUROPE 12349/8).
"There will be no meeting with political group leaders on Friday, but there will be a discussion to discuss the progress early next week ", it was confirmed by Mrs. von der Leyen's entourage.
In the presence of the latter, the European Council will discuss the implementation of the strategic agenda it adopted at the end of June on Friday (see EUROPE 12279/1) and how this agenda will fit into the political programme of the President-elect of the Commission (see EUROPE 12297/1).
For France, it is important that European leaders reaffirm their support for Mrs von der Leyen. At the beginning of July, the 28 Member States had struggled to reach agreement on senior European positions, including the Presidency of the Commission, and the German Christian Democrat had obtained an absolute majority of only 383 votes out of the 374 required.
With this renewed support, the President-elect would be in a better position to engage in dialogue with the leaders of the European Parliament's political groups in order to secure a stable pro-European majority in the vote, which will probably take place at the end of November, on the future College of European Commissioners, with a view to taking office in early December.
We must "recreate stability in the European Parliament" and, to do so, try to get President David Sassoli in play, a French diplomatic source said on Thursday. It is only after the European Council that France will propose two candidates after the rejection of Commissioner-designate Sylvie Goulard.
When asked how to secure a majority in the European Parliament, Mr Sassoli noted that while pro-European groups had emerged victorious in the European elections, since none of them are stronger than the other, "all need to align their position" through "dialogue". (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)