Brussels, 24/02/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 24 February, Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) - the biggest national delegation in the European People's Party (EPP) and the party of Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel - called for Jean-Claude Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg and former head of the Eurogroup, to be head of the EPP list to succeed European Commission President José Manuel Barroso. The CDU bureau unanimously approved Juncker's name, said CDU Secretary General Peter Tauber, as quoted by French news agency AFP. Juncker is therefore already assured of the support on 7 March of the biggest national delegation, which has 79 votes. He is likely to be up against current European Commissioner for the Internal Market and Services Michel Barnier (if Barnier maintains his candidacy, which he has not yet submitted) and former prime minister of Latvia Valdis Dombrovskis, who has already declared his candidacy (although several observers see him giving up the race before the EPP conference takes place in Dublin). The French UMP party, which has 68 votes, supports Barnier but he still has to officially receive the support of two other Conservative parties in the EU. Italy will be the second biggest delegation at Dublin - with 78 votes. Poland has the same number of votes as France - 68, and they are followed by Spain - with 60 votes. As far as Juncker is concerned, several members of the EPP family wonder about his real intentions, as he is reportedly eyeing up the Council presidency more. “All this will need to have light shed on it”, said a slightly irritated MEP on the sidelines of the EPP political bureau in Krakow on 21 February. (SP/transl.fl)