Brussels, 17/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday lunchtime, barely an hour before the opening of the European Council, the European People's Party finally announced its candidate to take over from Romano Prodi at the head of the next European Commission: the British Conservative Chris Patten, currently Commissioner for External Relations. Mr Patten was named after a two-hour debate at the end of the EPP's traditional pre-European Council Summit, which was held in Meise, near Brussels. The decision was taken "almost unanimously", noted Hans-Gert Pöttering, the leader of the EPP group in the EP. Silvio Berlusconi has the job of informing Bertie Ahern before the dinner on Thursday evening, during which the decision on the future President of the Commission is, in principle, to be taken. Strangely, the President of the EPP, Wilfried Martens suddenly cancelled his press briefing, which had originally been planned to close the Summit, and to present the EPP candidate. Most participants hurried away (some of them via back doors), without commenting and even refusing to tell the many waiting journalists the name of their candidate. Mr Pöttering, one of the few who spoke, said that he was "very pleased" with the choice of Mr Patten, "because he was also my choice". It is now up to Mr Ahern to "take his responsibility" and propose the candidate "who has the support of the largest political grouping" in the European Parliament. "The results of the European elections must be reflected", he insisted. Mr Patten is "the best possible candidate", agreed Peter Hintze, CDU Vice-President: he is a "genuine European", with enormous administrative experience, with "a large majority in the European Parliament" behind him. All of this makes Mr Patten the CDU's "ideal candidate". Furthermore, a British Conservative at the head of the Commission could also help to bring the British closer to the EU, he added.
Arriving in Meise, Mr Pöttering repeated his opposition to Guy Verhofstadt. Should the European Council appoint the Belgian Prime Minister, the EPP will do all in its power to block his confirmation by the EP, said Mr Pöttering, referring to "three good candidates": José Manuel Durao Barroso, Michel Barnier and Chris Patten.
On Thursday morning, Jean-Claude Juncker repeated his "promise to the citizens of Luxembourg" to remain the Prime Minister of his country. "Sorry, but there are still politicians who, after elections, do what they promised to do before the elections", he said, adding: "Personally, I support Mr Verhofstadt's candidacy" (apart from the Luxembourg Prime Minister, his Dutch, French and Portuguese counterparts have apparently also got behind Mr Verhofstadt).