German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU leaders might not succeed in reaching a unilateral agreement on Thursday on those who would fill the top political jobs in the bloc
BERLIN (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 20th June, 2019) German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that the EU leaders might not succeed in reaching a unilateral agreement on Thursday on those who would fill the top political jobs in the bloc.The European leaders gather in Brussels on Thursday for a major two-day summit that could result in naming those who would take the top jobs in the 28-member union. The main posts up for grabs are the president of the European Commission, currently occupied by Jean-Claude Juncker, and president of the European Council (the position is held by Donald Tusk).
"We have to talk about [candidates] in connection with the task of the EU Council to propose the European Parliament the candidacy of the president of the European Commission. In Germany, both the CDU/CSU alliance [Merkel's Christian Democratic Union of Germany and Christian Social Union in Bavaria] and the Social Democratic Party of Germany recognize the principle of nominating their candidate, but the [EU] council does not accept this. I think that the report, which is due to be presented by Tusk, will present a number of difficulties. We will openly discuss this, it's possible there will be no result today," Merkel told reporters before the start of the meeting in the Belgian capital.
A month after the European Parliament elections, the bloc seems to be stuck between various parliamentary groups. The situation is aggravated by the fact that two allies, Germany and France, seem to be on the opposite sides of the barricade over the candidate who will replace Juncker.
Merkel expresses her support for Manfred Weber, a member of the Christian Social Union in Bavaria, while her French counterpart, Emmanuel Macron floats other candidates including commission's Vice President Frans Timmermans, top Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier or Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager.
