(ANSA-AP) - BRUSSELS, JULY 2 - European Union leaders have broken three days of deadlock and nominated new heads for the 28-nation bloc's institutions. European Council President Donald Tusk said in a series of tweets Tuesday that German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen has been backed to become president of the executive European Commission, and Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel the head of the European Council. Frenchwoman Christine Lagarde has been nominated as the head of the European Central Bank and Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell as EU foreign policy chief.

Previously Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Poland, backed by Italy, appeared firmly entrenched in their opposition to former Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans, seen by many as the most qualified candidate to take over from Jean-Claude Juncker at the head of the European Commission. (ANSA-AP).