The European Commission’s president, Jean-Claude Juncker, expressed himself about the « Spitzenkandidat »

He declared today that “There is a big danger that the Spitzenkandidat process will be abandoned for the 2019 European elections”. Furthermore, he told MEP’s at a meeting in Strasbourg that he has the feeling that a great majority of member states are not in favour and that they need to be standing behind the « Spitzenkandidat system ».

In fact, a majority of the European Council, included French’s President Emmanuel Macron, disapproved this system. The Czech Prime Minister, Andrej Babiš, claimed that only the member states should decide who will be the next President of the European Commission.

Some other member state’s representatives, as the Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, said that “EU’s credibility depends on the maintain of the Spitzenkandidat system”.

It appears that the conflict for the « Spitzenkandidat » is not over and will be still on European agenda for the next few months.

 Déborah Miller   

For further information

EU Observer, Tickers, “Junker : Big danger to Spitzenkandidat process for 2019”, https://euobserver.com/tickers/140863

Politico, “Commission’s Spitzenkandidat process at risk”, https://www.politico.eu/article/spitzenkandidat-jean-claude-juncker-race-with-no-rules-eu-leaders-brace-for-clash-over-2019-elections/

New Vision, “Row over race to succeed EU’s Juncker”, https://www.newvision.co.ug/new_vision/news/1470377/row-race-succeed-eus-juncker