Earlier this week, Hungary’s Viktor Orban also vented his displeasure at other EU leaders.
Writing on X, Mr Orban said that the deal between the EPP, the S&D and the liberals “ran against everything that the EU was based on”.
“Instead of inclusion, it sows the seeds of division,” Mr Orban said, adding that EU top officials should represent “every member state, not just leftists and liberals!”
On Thursday morning allies of Ms Meloni told reporters in Brussels that she had not yet decided whether she would endorse the new leadership team.
However, even with Mr Orban’s potential backing, Ms Meloni would not have the power to veto the top jobs nominations, as doing so would require bringing a majority of EU leaders on board.
But Ms Meloni has gained a prominent status among European right-wingers, and Ms von der Leyen is unlikely to want to antagonise her at the start of a second mandate.
Ahead of the summit, members of Ms von der Leyen’s PPE group struck a conciliatory tone, with Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk telling reporters: “It’s not Europe without Italy and there is no decision without PM Meloni, it’s obvious.”
It is also thought that Italy will be offered a senior job in the next commission in exchange for an endorsement at today’s summit. Each EU member state gets a commissioner, but some – like the economy or competition portfolios – are the most coveted.
In a letter to EU leaders on the eve of the Brussels summit, Ms von der Leyen also promised to do more to address illegal migration, which is one of Ms Meloni’s key concerns.
If she is officially nominated as the EU leaders’ candidate of choice for the presidency of the European Commission, Ms von der Leyen will then need to be approved by a majority of Members of the European Parliament at a session likely to take place in mid-July.
Ms von der Leyen will be backed by the 190 members of her EPP group, but she will also need to secure support from other political groups to obtain a majority of 361.
The S&D and Renew have said they would back Ms von der Leyen and – if all their MEPs do so – she will win the required majority.
But the vote for European Commission president is secret, and some MEPs might not toe the party line.
This means Ms von der Leyen could need votes from the ECR, which makes obtaining Ms Meloni’s support all the more urgent.