Brussels, 04/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Wednesday 4 June, the team of Jean-Claude Junker, the Christian Democrat (EPP) candidate to take over from José Manuel Barroso as the president of the European Commission, quashed rumours on Twitter that suggested the former Luxembourg prime minister was just about to throw in the towel.
An EPP spokesperson said that “these rumours come from those who do not want Junker as a candidate”. Junker's team affirmed that he was, on the contrary, “more confident than ever” that he would be the next president of the Commission.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel confirmed this objective. On Wednesday at the Bundestag the Chancellor declared that, in addition to the debate on the EU's future priorities, “I am also trying to ensure that the main EPP candidate, Jean-Claude Juncker, will obtain the required qualified majority to become the next president of the European Commission”.
Newly elected to head the EPP Group at the European Parliament, Manfred Weber from Germany confirmed that he expected Junker to be elected president of the Commission by Parliament in the middle of July. The MEP said that “this is our aim” and indicated that the EEP Group was prepared to enter into negotiations with the other political groups at the EP to achieve it. He added: “I have heard a lot of Socialist leaders support him and we have also received encouraging messages from Hannes Swoboda”.
Asked about the rumours surrounding the Junker candidacy, Weber again explained that the campaign had been carried out among the voters on the promise that their voice would be heard and that Juncker would be the candidate. Weber said that “we must keep our promise”.
Joseph Daul, the leader of the EPP party, said that he was “sure that there will be a surprise at the majority for Jean-Claude Junker” and that this would be a pleasant surprise. (SP and MB)