The longest ever EU summit has ended without agreement
The divided European Union’s 28 national leaders were to spend a third consecutive day on Tuesday arm-wrestling over who should hold the bloc’s most prominent jobs until nearly 2025.
“NO FURTHER EU ENLARGEMENT”
It is highly unusual for a summit to run into a third day, and this round is already the third attempt to decide the jobs.
Leaders emerged frustrated on Monday from the all-night talks, with French President Emmanuel Macron dubbing them a failure and saying there could be no further EU enlargement without reforms to enable smoother functioning.
His initial deal with Angela Merkel to endorse Timmermans collapsed as the weakened German chancellor failed to deliver her fellow center-right peers.
EU leaders must seal a deal on Tuesday or risk being overtaken by the new European Parliament, which holds an inaugural session on Wednesday after a continent-wide election in May. It is due to pick its new president and could act independently barring agreement of the 28 national capitals.