European leaders to support Juncker as next commissioner
THE LEADERS of the biggest parties in the European Union have backed Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European commission.
Juncker, a former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, is the leader of the party with the biggest share of seats in Europe, the European People’s Party (EPP), and was chosen earlier this year as the EPP’s candidate for the presidential role.
Parties have begun selecting so-called spitzenkandidats to encourage support around one candidate across the EU. The process seeks to avoid the president of the commission being selected by the Prime Ministers of EU nations, as has been the case in the past.
David Cameron is understood to want an alternative candidate to head up the EU body and former Conservative MEP Martin Callanan, who has just lost his seat, has been touted.