“This was partly hubris from the EPP,” an EU official said. “By asking to have a mandate for only 2.5 years it created a huge perception problem with [socialists], who would be put in a difficult position. The EPP did not play this one well. This will be difficult to solve.”
The official added that Michel did not help in the discussions. “Instead of helping to find a deal, he kept bringing up other things,” the official said.
Another reason talks failed was because Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni was unhappy with how the evening unfolded, several EU diplomats said. Meloni, who was one of the few leaders who came out of the European election with an electoral win, was displeased by attempts by the other EU leaders to lock her out of negotiations.
The Italian prime minister “contested the type of approach to the discussion,” said an official familiar with the discussion. She started “from the assumption that today’s informal meeting should have represented the moment in which to discuss what to do in light of the signals from the European elections and then, from that starting point, to begin the discussion on the names for the top jobs, and not vice versa,” the official added.
Speaking at the G7 late last week, Macron, who is one of the key brokers in the top jobs deal, said he believed Monday’s talks could deliver an in-principle decision.
“It’s a discussion that takes place among the 27; we’ve called each other; [a deal] appears possible in the days that come, in the week that comes,” Macron said.
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