Brussels, 21/01/2014 (Agence Europe) - The compromise between the two candidates within the ALDE Party for the presidency of the European Commission - Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium) and Olli Rehn (Finland) - was tied up in the Hague during the morning of Monday 20 January with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the leader of Germany's liberal FDP party, Christian Lindner - but without Graham Watson (UK). According to some sources, Watson supported Rehn's candidature. The compromise put forward by Lindner makes Verhofstadt the candidate to succeed José Manuel Barroso and makes Rehn the ALDE party's candidate for other high-level posts in foreign affairs or economic governance (see EUROPE 11000).
The ALDE Party's congress on 1 February, which was due to decide between the two men, will now serve as the occasion for this choice to be ratified and could become a celebration of unity among the Liberals, according to one source, because the ALDE Party has until now risked imploding - particularly because of the opposition of its French members to Rehn's candidature for the head of the Commission.
Verhofstadt is not yet the official candidate of the Belgian government but “his personality is appreciated and he has already met [Belgium's Prime Minister] Elio di Rupo, who gives assurances of his support if his [Verhofstadt's] name is appointed”, says a source. The chances of the ALDE Party taking the presidency of the Commission are currently thin, however, but as crown-maker - if the EPP-PES majority should be weakened by the eurosceptic vote - the ALDE Party could possibly claim the presidency of the European Parliament or even - ideally for Verhofstadt - the presidency of a future convention tasked with working on a new European treaty. Rehn remains in the running for the European elections and, as provided for by the Commission's rules, will have to step down from his post as commissioner (and request unpaid holiday) on 17 April at the latest. (SP/transl.fl)