08/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - In an interview to Le Monde on Tuesday, the president of the EPP-ED group at the EP, Hans-Gert Pöttering reiterated his opposition to the candidacy of the Belgian prime minister, the Liberal, Guy Verhofstadt, for the presidency of the Commission. the CDU MEP affirmed that it would be totally inappropriate for France to say that Mr Verhofstadt had priority. Pöttering noted that it was a question of democratic fair play and if the Socialist won the elections they had the same rights as the EPP. Pöttering explained that during the sanctions imposed on Austria, Verhofstadt had taken a position that was against that taken by the majority of his group; he had organised a four country summit on defence, which for the majroity of the EPP was "divisive"; he is the prime minister that had been the most vigorous in denouncing a reference to God in the constitution. As for other possible candidacies from the EPP, Pöttering that this would be discussed at the EPP summit on 16 June in Brussels. Jean-Claude Juncker, Wolfgang Schüssel, Chris Patten and Jean-Luc Dehaene have been mentioned.