04/12/2017 (Agence Europe) – On Friday 1 December in Lisbon, the Council of the Party of European Socialists (PES) reached a decision on the internal appointments process for its future Spitzenkandidat. The latter will be put forward ahead of the 2019 European elections and if a Social Democratic victory takes place, will be appointed leader of the European Commission at the end of 2019. A PES press release explained, “Our political family will aim to build up a coalition of progressive and pro-European forces in the newly elected European Parliament that would vote for the PES Common Candidate to be next European Commission President”. The common candidate will be selected during a congress at the end of 2018. The PES will support a pan-European List of candidates for deputy leader, with a Spitzenkandidat as the leader. (MB)