EU leaders to haggle over bloc's top jobs at Brussels summit

Brussels : EU leaders are due to meet on Monday for a special summit to discuss who will fill the 27-nation bloc's top posts in Brussels.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, a German centre-right Christian Democrat, is seeking support for a second term in office.

Her group in the European Parliament, the European People's Party (EPP), scored a clear victory in this month's elections for the legislature, strengthening her chances for another five-year term.

But she will still need the backing of a few other political groups in Parliament, plus the support of most of the EU's national leaders.

"It is clear that after the results of the elections, everything speaks in favour of Ursula von der Leyen having a second term in office," German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said in a Saturday interview.

The future President of the European Council and the post of EU high representative for foreign affairs will also likely be negotiated when leaders meet over a working dinner in Brussels on Monday.

Former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa is currently seen as a likely candidate for the council post and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is tipped as the bloc's next foreign affairs chief.

The leaders of the EU states will also meet again the following week for a regular summit. By this time, the personnel planning is hoped to have been finalised and will only need to be formalised.

If not, the national leaders will continue discussions about filling the top posts in Brussels.