Monday

5th Jun 2023

Juncker chosen for EU commission job, Cameron defeated

  • The 59-year old still has to be elected into office by MEPs (Photo: Council of the European Union)

EU leaders on Friday (27 June) nominated Jean-Claude Juncker to be European Commission president, simultaneously doling out a major diplomatic defeat for London and handing a large chunk of power to the European Parliament.

"Decision made. The European Council proposes Jean-Claude Juncker as the next President of the European Commission," EU council president Herman Van Rompuy tweeted during the meeting.

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 decision was taken by a vote – a first for an EU summit – after British PM David Cameron led a strong campaign against the Luxembourger, opposing both the way the 59-year-old came to be nominated, as well as the man – who he has called the "ultimate Brussels insider" – himself.

The nature of Cameron's pre-summit rhetoric and his refusal to take some kind of trade-off for the UK in return for accepting Juncker saw EU leaders have a show of hands on the issue.

Only Hungary's Viktor Orban joined Cameron in voting no.

The decision represents a diplomatic defeat for Cameron – who started the campaign convinced he would win – but also a new shift in the balance of power in the EU capital, to the European Parliament's gain.

Juncker's appointment came on the back of a novel process pushed through by MEPs in which they insisted the lead candidate of the party winning the May EU vote – in this case Juncker for the centre-right EPP – should be nominated for the commission presidency by EU leaders.

Grumbling that MEPs were taking an over-expansive interpretation of the treaty, EU leaders went half-heartedly along with the idea.

However, they were soon overtaken by events on the ground as the various Spitzenkandidaten started taking part in TV debates and touring member states as commission candidates.

For a while it looked like German chancellor Angela Merkel – not a huge fan of Juncker – would stop the process, but a backlash by domestic press saw her reiterate her support.

The Luxembourger and former head of the eurogroup, who has maintained a media blackout over recent weeks, still has to be elected into office by a majority in the EP (376 out of 751 MEPs), with the vote to take place on 16 July.

EU leaders are then to meet later that same day to decide on the post of EU foreign policy chief and EU Council president.

If Juncker makes it through parliament, it will represent the first time in EU history that the commission president has not been chosen by EU leaders.

It would also likely strengthen the Spitzenkandidate process for 2019, the next EU vote.

While campaigning for the post Juncker admitted that few voters would know his name and suggested that the next time round, political groups would have to choose their candidates around two years ahead, instead of just a few months before ballot day.

Meanwhile, Socialist MEP Richard Corbett, recently remarked that the process' first outing had showed political groups that they should choose better quality candidates next time round, with few convinced that Juncker is the best person for the job.

Cameron, for his part, told his counterparts they "could live to regret the new process for choosing the commission president".

Cameron mends ties with Juncker

British PM Cameron has reached out to Juncker, after having failed to prevent his nomination as European Commission chief.

EU leaders to review 'Spitzenkandidat' process

EU leaders have said they plan to review the process for choosing EU commission presidents in the future after having found themselves left with little room for manoeuvre following a parliament-pushed process.

Column

What a Spanish novelist can teach us about communality

In a world where cultural clashes and sectarianism seems to be on the increase, Spanish novelist Javier Cercas (b.1962) takes the opposite approach. He cherishes both life in the big city and in the countryside.

Opinion

Poland and Hungary's ugly divorce over Ukraine

What started in 2015 as a 'friends-with-benefits' relationship between Viktor Orbán and Jarosław Kaczyński, for Hungary and Poland, is ending in disgust and enmity — which will not be overcome until both leaders leave.

Latest News

  1. Spanish PM to delay EU presidency speech due to snap election
  2. EU data protection chief launches Frontex investigation
  3. Madrid steps up bid to host EU anti-money laundering hub
  4. How EU leaders should deal with Chinese government repression
  5. MEPs pile on pressure for EU to delay Hungary's presidency
  6. IEA: World 'comfortably' on track for renewables target
  7. Europe's TV union wooing Lavrov for splashy interview
  8. ECB: eurozone home prices could see 'disorderly' fall

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. InformaConnecting Expert Industry-Leaders, Top Suppliers, and Inquiring Buyers all in one space - visit Battery Show Europe.
  2. EFBWWEFBWW and FIEC do not agree to any exemptions to mandatory prior notifications in construction
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic and Baltic ways to prevent gender-based violence
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Economic gender equality now! Nordic ways to close the pension gap
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: Pushing back the push-back - Nordic solutions to online gender-based violence
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersCSW67: The Nordics are ready to push for gender equality

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us