Brussels, 10/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 10 April, President of the European Parliament Martin Schulz and the leaders of the political groups at the European Parliament met President of the European Council Herman Van Rompuy to discuss the practical arrangements for the election of the next president of the European Commission. According to an EP press release, “a large majority of the EP political group leaders” told the president of the European Council that the next European Commission president should be elected from among the official candidates: Martin Schulz for the PES, Jean-Claude Juncker for the EPP, Guy Verhofstadt the Liberals, José Bové and Ska Keller for the Greens and the Greek MEP Alexis Tsipras for the European Left. A large majority of the leaders of the political groups of the EP believe that the European Council should assess the results of the European elections and consult the political groups of the European Parliament before making any proposals as to a new Commission President. This is now the position of the EP, whereas previously, only three groups had supported a joint declaration to open official consultations with the Council directly after 25 May, according to one source.
The Conference of the Presidents also agreed that it would meet at 11.30am on the morning of 27 May to assess the results and that Schulz would contact Van Rompuy directly with the thoughts of the EP, to allow him to use these at an informal dinner to be held that evening of the heads of state and/or government. EUROPE will return to this Conference of the Presidents of the EP of 10 April. (SP)