Milan: 09/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 8 July, Jean-Claude Juncker, the candidate nominated to be president of the European Commission, was respectful of the sensitivities of the European Parliament's political groups as the groups are currently hearing him on his programme and team (see other articles).
Juncker poured cold water on the enthusiasm of MEPs from the S&D Group after they had announced a little earlier in the day that Juncker had promised the post of European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs for a Social Democrat. Indeed several S&D MEPs had posted comments on Twitter about this promise from Juncker (see EUROPE 11117). Questioned by the Liberal ALDE Group, Juncker seemed to go back on his earlier words, stating that he had “not yet decided” on appointing a member of the Social Democrat party as successor to the current European commissioner for economic and monetary affairs, Olli Rehn.
Juncker seemed anxious about clarifying his words to the ALDE MEPs - who are the fourth most powerful group in the European Parliament and who hope to obtain commissioners with portfolios as important as those that Liberals had under the previous Commission. During the debate on the stability and growth pact, Juncker had told the S&D Group that economic policies had always only been conducted by the same political parties although “a Social Democrat was also very capable of doing it”. Nevertheless, “this will be done on the basis of a programme from the Commission”, he assured the ALDE Group and this programme “will not diverge from what the Council says - no change to the pact but using its margins for manoeuvre”.
On Monday, the ALDE MEPs will say whether or not they have been convinced by Juncker. Juncker needs ALDE's support in order to be guaranteed of a comfortable election by the European Parliament in Strasbourg on 15 July. (SP)