20/06/2018 (Agence Europe) – At the end of the French-German summit in Meseberg on Tuesday 19 June (see EUROPE 12044), Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel supported the idea, promoted by France's President Emmanuel Macron, of creating a European constituency enabling the election of MEPs on transnational lists for the European elections in 2024. The European Parliament itself has rejected this concept while advocating the designation of a lead candidate ('Spitzenkandidaten') by the political families. Should the lead candidate's camp obtain victory, the lead candidate would become president of the European Commission (see EUROPE 11956). Paris and Berlin also support a reduction in the size of the College of European Commissioners. This is currently fixed at one commissioner per member state. (MB)