04/06/2018 (Agence Europe) – On Monday 4 June, German Social Democrat Jo Leinen expressed his hopes that the German delegation of the EPP group at the European Parliament would revise its opposition to transnational lists in the European elections, after German Chancellor Angela Merkel told the newspaper FAZ that appointing heads of lists for each European political family could work only if these Spitzenkandidaten were on a transnational list. In the event of victory, this candidate would become the President of the European Commission. In February, Parliament rejected this initiative, contrary to the opinion of its committee on constitutional affairs, due to the opposition of the EPP group (see EUROPE 11956). Now that Chancellor Merkel has come out in support of transnational lists, “chances grow that the idea can be revived after the European elections in 2019”, Leinen said. (MB)