This archive report was first published on 3 July 2019.
On July 3, 2019, European Union leaders announced their nominations for the bloc's top jobs, marking a significant shift in the EU's leadership.
German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen was chosen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as European Commission chief, making her the first woman to hold the position.
IMF chief Christine Lagarde was nominated to head the European Central Bank, becoming the first woman to hold the role.
The nominations followed days of intense negotiations among EU leaders, who were tasked with selecting five individuals for the top jobs.
Belgian liberal Prime Minister Charles Michel was nominated to replace European Council President Donald Tusk, while Spain's Josep Borrell was proposed as foreign policy chief.
The fifth key role, president of the European Parliament, is set to be chosen on Wednesday, with possible candidates including German centre-right MEP Manfred Weber and Bulgarian socialist Sergei Stanishev.
Most of the roles require parliamentary ratification, with the exception of the European Parliament presidency.
"We have agreed the whole package before the first session of the European Parliament," said Mr Tusk.
He noted that Germany had abstained on Mrs von der Leyen's nomination due to coalition issues, but pointed out that Chancellor Angela Merkel had personally backed her.
French President Emmanuel Macron praised the nominations, describing them as "the fruit of a deep Franco-German entente".
Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar welcomed the nomination of two women for key jobs, saying it sent a powerful message about the EU's commitment to gender equality.
