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'Iron Man' Alexander Stubb - marathon runner and an early favourite to replace Jean-Claude Juncker. But the candidates have to contend with the May 2019 European parliament elections, the Spitzenkandidat process itself and member states objections (Photo: European Parliament)

Why 'Spitzenkandidat' is probably here to stay

After the Spitzenkandidat process led to the coronation of Jean-Claude Juncker, the candidate of the European People's Party (EPP), as president of the European Commission in November 2014, EU leaders pledged they would not let the European Parliament keep the control they had grabbed over deciding the commission president.

But four years later the Spitzenkandidat (German for 'lead candidate', but has slipped into common usage) machine has sprung back to life.

Despite EU leaders...

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The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserver

Author Bio

Matthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.

'Iron Man' Alexander Stubb - marathon runner and an early favourite to replace Jean-Claude Juncker. But the candidates have to contend with the May 2019 European parliament elections, the Spitzenkandidat process itself and member states objections (Photo: European Parliament)

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Author Bio

Matthew is EUobserver's Opinion Editor. He joined EUobserver in June 2018. Previously he worked as a reporter for The Guardian in London, and as editor for AFP in Paris and DPA in Berlin.

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