Wednesday

29th Mar 2023

Agenda

More EU top jobs handed out this WEEK

  • Juncker - Set to be confirmed as the next Commission president on Tuesday. (Photo: consilium.europa.au)

The saga of who will get the EU's top jobs will move a step closer to conclusion this week, in the last major decision before the EU institutions begin their six-week summer recess.

On Tuesday (14 July), attention will be focused on the European Parliament in Strasbourg, where Jean Claude Juncker is almost certain to be elected by MEPs as the next president of the European Commission.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

The former Luxembourg PM spent last week wooing the political factions in the EP in order to secure their backing.

He needs at least half of the assembly's 751 deputies to support his candidacy after having been nominated by EU leaders at the end of June.

He appears to have the backing of the centre-right, centre-left, and liberal groups. Between them, the three groups account for 480 MEPs, with a majority of Green MEPs also likely to back Juncker.

His election would make him the first Commission chief to be elected via the Spitzenkandidat process, a system under which the lead candidate of the most popular political family - in the this case the centre-right EPP - gets nominated for the post.

For their part, the conservative eurosceptics in the ECR group and the left-wing GUE have indicated that they will oppose Juncker's candidacy.

The day after Juncker's likely election, EU leaders will gather in Brussels once more to discuss names for other top posts, such as the EU foreign policy chief and the EU council presidency. They are also expected to discuss the portfolios to be allocated to the 27 national commissioners.

The situation in Ukraine as well as the EU's ambitions for energy independence are on the agenda too.

European Central Bank president Mario Draghi will address MEPs on the economic affairs committee on Monday (14 July), his first monetary dialogue with deputies since May's elections and the ECB's decision to drop interest rates to a record low of 0.15 percent.

MEPs are also due to hear four interim commissioners - from Poland, Luxembourg, Italy and Finland - after their fellow nationals took up seats in the European Parliament.

Elsewhere, EU and US trade officials will gather in the EU capital for the sixth round of week-long talks on the trade and investment agreement known as TTIP.

On Monday, the European Commission will also publish plans to regulate the bloc's online gambling market.

Who is Jean-Claude Juncker?

From prodigy politician in Luxembourg to master of deception as Eurogroup chair, Jean-Claude Juncker brings both experience and baggage with his nomination as EU commission president.

MEPs decide Parliament top jobs this WEEK

751 MEPs from 186 national parties will gather in Strasbourg this week, as the eighth European Parliament is formally constituted on Tuesday (1 July).

EU summit zooms in on global roles This WEEK

Competitiveness is expected be on the top of the agenda of EU leaders after the EU Commission last week rolled out a series of proposals to boost the bloc's capacity in green tech.

Column

What does China really want? Perhaps we could try asking

Perhaps even more surprising to the West was the fact that the Iran-Saudi Arabia deal was not brokered by the United States, or the European Union, but by the People's Republic of China. Since when was China mediating peace agreements?

Opinion

Dear EU, the science is clear: burning wood for energy is bad

The EU and the bioenergy industry claim trees cut for energy will regrow, eventually removing extra CO2 from the atmosphere. But regrowth is not certain, and takes time, decades or longer. In the meantime, burning wood makes climate change worse.

Latest News

  1. EU approves 2035 phaseout of polluting cars and vans
  2. New measures to shield the EU against money laundering
  3. What does China really want? Perhaps we could try asking
  4. Dear EU, the science is clear: burning wood for energy is bad
  5. Biden's 'democracy summit' poses questions for EU identity
  6. Finnish elections and Hungary's Nato vote in focus This WEEK
  7. EU's new critical raw materials act could be a recipe for conflict
  8. Okay, alright, AI might be useful after all

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality
  6. Promote UkraineInvitation to the National Demonstration in solidarity with Ukraine on 25.02.2023

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us