EU leaders on Thursday announced a special summit for May 28 – two days after the end of European Parliament elections – that will pave the way for a reshuffle of the bloc’s top leadership.

Speaking at an informal summit in Sibiu, Romania, Tusk said he would urge the 28 member states to quickly agree on the appointments, which include a successor for his own position and for the bloc’s top post – the president of the European Commission.

“I won’t shy away from putting the decision to the vote if consensus is difficult to achieve,” Tusk said, adding that “swift decisions” were necessary so that the bloc could function properly.

EU leaders must also decide on the bloc’s top diplomat and the next European Central Bank chief. Tusk said the appointments should reflect the political, geographical and demographic realities of the EU.

Many in Brussels fear that the May elections could further boost eurosceptic parties, several of which are already represented in national governments.

Aside from taking stock of election results, the May 28 summit is likely to see some jockeying over the “Spitzenkandidaten,” or lead candidates, introduced in 2014 in an effort to bolster voter participation.

Under the system, EU-wide political groups nominate their preferred candidate to head the commission. The group that does best should then see their choice catapulted into the top job.

Most of the dominant European political groups have put forward their choice of commission president. But the final choice must be agreed by EU leaders, who usually engage in a complex game of political horse-trading.

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker, who was appointed through that process, expressed confidence that it would be carried through this year.

But French President Emmanuel – a long-time sceptic – reiterated his opposition, saying it will not work unless “there are real transnational European lists.”

Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte also poured cold water on the idea.

The gathering in Sibiu had long been planned as a venue to discuss the bloc’s post-Brexit priorities for the next five years. Those included rule of law and rights; the European economic model; the EU’s global role; and the environment.

France and seven other member states have been seeking especially strong language on carbon emissions. Ahead of the summit, they had circulated a letter to push for more ambitious targets, including a call for the EU to become net-greenhouse gas neutral by 2050.

Germany, however, was notably absent from that list, and Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Thursday she decided not to sign on to the letter for now, even though she supported many of its points.

Berlin cannot join the initiative because Germany’s climate goals through 2050 deviated from those of the other countries on that list, she said.

Germany is striving to reduce emissions until 2050 by 80 to 95 per cent in comparison with the levels from 1995, rather than 100 per cent as the French-led initiative calls for.

However, Merkel did suggest a “coalition of the willing” in Europe that would possibly allow uniform “pricing” of emissions.

Juncker also took a more cautious tone, telling reporters that EU member states should focus on meeting short-term climate goals before setting more ambitious long-term targets.

“We have a first target to be met in 2030, so let’s concentrate on immediate and urgent actions,” he said.

Environmental groups took aim at Germany and others for declining to sign on to the letter’s goals.

“It is regrettable that many [leaders] still fail to recognize their responsibility to act,” said Wendel Trio, Director of Climate Action Europe. “Especially Germany, who used to be a climate leader, still turns a blind eye to the climate emergency.”