The Spitzenkandidaten system is a real democratic advancement and it would be a mistake not to respect it, warned, on Friday 14 June, two EPP group veterans in the European Parliament, Alain Lamassoure of France and Elmar Brok of Germany, who have both left their MEP seats.
Assuring that they were not the spokespersons for their political family, who had topped the European elections on 26 May, they referred to the article in the Treaty that organises the appointment of the President of the Commission: the agreement to be reached between Parliament and the EU Council on a candidate must reflect the outcome of the elections.
But the election of this President is the responsibility of Parliament, which has "the last word" and speaks for the "citizens", Alain Lamassoure insisted. The Frenchman considered the current context more difficult than in 2014, due to a more fragmented Parliament thus a majority will need to be built between several major political groups. Everything is "open" in the combination of the currently known Spitzenkandidaten, but this system must above all be respected, he stressed.
At this stage, the four main pro-European political groups in Parliament - EPP, S&D, Renew Europe and Greens/EFA - are negotiating their joint work programme, which could be ready as early as Monday 17 June in the evening or Tuesday 18 June ahead of the European Summit on 20 and 21 June (see EUROPE 12273/17).
On Friday, Alain Lamassoure did not rule out the possibility that an actual name could be submitted as part of this exercise, even if other sources were more cautious.
Meanwhile, within the European People's Party, many internal actors continue to believe that the German Manfred Weber still has every chance of chairing the Commission, although the post-election atmosphere is bleaker than in 2014, when the victory was clearer. And despite the doubts, "there is unity behind him", according to his entourage.
However, one of the major obstacles to Mr Weber's accession to head the Commission remains the French President, Emmanuel Macron, who reiterates his opposition to his candidacy. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, also has a say in the negotiations on the European top posts to be filled by the end of 2019. And his close ties with the Frenchman is a parameter to be taken into account.
On Friday, Mr Weber travelled to Slovakia, one of the countries of the Visegrád Group, led by a social democratic government to be convinced of his candidature. Hungarian Viktor Orbán, whose party has been suspended from the EPP party, has already indicated that he will not support Mr Weber. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)