Brussels, 23/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - Around midday on Tuesday 24 June, the head of the European Parliament's EPP Group, Manfred Weber (Germany), is due to start negotiations with the Socialists and Democrats (S&D) Group and its leader, Martin Schulz (Germany), with a view to forging the majority that will (in theory) - in Strasbourg in mid-July - support the EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission. At the current time, this is Jean-Claude Juncker - although this choice has first to be confirmed by the EU heads of state and government at the end of this week.
The idea is also to seal an agreement on the legislative programme to be implemented. The discussions to form this grand coalition will focus in particular on the reform efforts for the future Commission. “Over the next five years, the European Union must build the framework that is suited to promote growth and jobs”, said Weber.
“The first lesson to be drawn from the European election results is that Europe must change. The EPP Group is firmly committed to a reform programme for the future of Europe”, said Weber, who has already drawn a red line, in that the EPP Group “wants to bring a sustainable solution to the crisis” and “this solution can't be based on the policies of the past. We will not accept any amendment to the stability and growth pact”.
Sharing the presidency of the European Parliament is focus of discussions. Another objective of these negotiations is to obtain an agreement on sharing the presidency of the European Parliament - with the EPP wanting to continue the sharing of this post between the EPP and S&D. The S&D are moreover due to inherit the first half of the presidency, according to the unwritten rules. The outgoing president of the Parliament, Schulz, has already been the subject of an agreement in Berlin between the German Social Democratic Party (SPD) and the German Christian Democratic Union (CDU) about his return to the European Parliament but “the discussions are not necessarily on a specific name. No name was imposed. It is really an internal issue in the groups”, the EPP stated.
These negotiations, which begin on Tuesday and will continue until a level of mutual satisfaction is found, aim to give the Commission president candidate as wide support as possible - with the absolute majority (376+1) being required. Nevertheless, with voices of disagreement already being raised - like those of French Socialist Pervenche Bérès, who has very clearly voiced her reservations about supporting Juncker, “the game will then have to be opened to the other groups in the Parliament”, said a source, wanting to ensure that the EPP candidate win the vote clearly. This, of course, is always supposing that Juncker receives the backing of his peers on Friday 27 June. (SP)