Now to Europe. Following the European Parliament elections, EU leaders met for an informal summit dinner in Brussels on Tuesday. They discussed the vote and started the nomination process for the heads of EU institutions. CGTN's Mariam Zaidi has more from Brussels.

With EU parliament elections complete, the horse-trading to secure EU top jobs has begun in earnest. Up for grabs: the presidencies of the EU Commission, Council, Parliament and European Central Bank. And the winning candidates will be chosen by EU leaders at their June summit.

Validated by an uptick in voter participation, the European Parliament wants to seize the opportunity. Ahead of an informal dinner of EU Heads of State and Government on Tuesday, Parliamentary leaders spoke out on the race to fill the upcoming vacancy at the EU Commission.

GUY VERHOFSTADT BELGIAN CANDIDATE, EUROPEAN COMMISSION "Our priority will be that based on this new balance of power in the European Parliament, there will be a tough modern and active agreement between the future majority in the house."

SKA KELLER GERMAN CANDIDATE, EUROPEAN COMMISSION "This evening we will need to see from the (EU) Council a movement towards them respecting not just the outcome of the elections but also the role of the parliament, that they can't go around us. For us Greens, we are supporting the lead candidate procedure because this is an important progress in EU democracy."

In 2014, the EU parliament came up with a more democratic 'lead candidate' process, whereby whichever group in the parliament forms a winning coalition or has majority, its candidate is put forward to the EU Council.

EU leaders Tuesday were busy ahead of the dinner, securing alliances and allegiances for their preferred candidates.

Germany's Angela Merkel who belongs to the EPP group urged leaders to stick to the parliamentary procedure and choose her party's preferred candidate. But French President Emmanuel Macron offered something different.

EMMANUEL MACRON FRENCH PRESIDENT "We have to choose the people who will hold up our EU project and those persons need a double majority - in the EU Parliament and in the EU Council."

After dinner came this.

DONALD TUSK EUROPEAN COUNCIL PRESIDENT "Today's discussion confirms that the agreement reached by the leaders in February last year. The EU Council will exercise its role to elect the EU commission president, meaning in accordance with the treaties that there can be no automaticity."

MARIAM ZAIDI BRUSSELS "And Donald Tusk said the process and not names was discussed on Tuesday evening but could the EU's Lead Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier be the dark horse in the race for the EU Commission top job. Despite not being a formal candidate and despite coming from a different party to France's President, it appears he's Macron's preferred candidate. Who better to steer the EU post-Brexit than their own negotiator. Mariam Zaidi, CGTN, Brussels."