Strasbourg, 03/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 3 July, the European Parliament's conference of presidents of the political groups decided to bring the vote forward to 15 July that will determine whether Jean-Claude Juncker from Luxembourg leads the next European Commission.
The EU heads of state and government will meet again on Wednesday 16 July to discuss how the other key posts in the next Commission are divided up.
As regards the dates, those in the Parliament say that the Council should not put the cart before the horse by meeting before the Parliament's vote on Juncker's appointment. Ultimately it was Parliament which re-arranged its diary so that this does not happen. “This suits us too”, Philippe Lamberts (co-leader of the Greens/EFA, Belgium) told EUROPE.
The conference of presidents, which brings together the president of the European Parliament and the leaders of its political groups, has the duty of deciding on the Parliament's diary and the agenda of the plenary sessions. A representative from the non-attached MEPs also takes part in it but does not have the right to vote. (EL)