Who Will Succeed Juncker as European Commission President? | DW News

The European Parliament that emerges from the 2019 EU election will go on to elect the next president of the European Commission. That person will succeed Jean Claude-Juncker whose five year term is coming to an end. It's Europe's top job so the stakes are high. Among the candidates are Margarete Vestager for the Liberals, Ska Keller for the Greens, Manfred Weber for the Conservatives, Frans Timmermans for the Social Democrats, Jan Zharadil for the Conservative and Reformists and Nico Cue for the Left Party.

Juncker's Full 2016 'State of the Union' Address

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker gave his annual "State of the European Union" address in the European Parliament at 9.00am in Strasbourg this morning (14 Wednesday).

Cameron Calls On European Leaders to Publicly Back His Battle against Juncker

Jean-Claude Juncker at the Luxembourg Chamber of Deputies

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Prime Minister urges his fellow leaders to express their 'interesting' views on European Commission presidential candidate Jean-Claude Juncker in public

David Cameron has hit out at European leaders who have failed to support him publicly in his efforts to block Jean-Claude Juncker becoming president of the European Commission.

In an apparent rebuke to Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, Mr Cameron suggested that European leaders have expressed scepticism in private about Mr Juncker’s appointment but have failed to nail their colours to the mast in public.

Mrs Merkel is thought to be pressing for Mr Juncker's appointment to be confirmed at a meeting of the European Council at the end of next week.

Downing Street believes that Mr Juncker, an arch-federalist, will make it more difficult for Mr Cameron to renegotiate Britain’s relationship with Brussels before holding an in-out referendum in 2017. The Prime Minister has previously warned that he could increase the chances of Britain leaving the EU.

This morning the Prime Minister made an eleventh hour call to the Matteo Renzi, the Italian Prime Minister who’s support is key to Mr Cameron’s effort to gather a blocking minority in the Commission’s voting system.

However there are fears that the Italian Prime Minister will decide to support Mr Juncker in return for concessions from European heavyweights of France and Germany.

Britain’s allies - including Sweden, the Netherlands and Hungary - are too small to meet the veto threshold. » | Georgia Graham, Political Correspondent | Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Balkenende Mentioned as European Commission President
NRC HANDELSBLAD: The name of the Dutch prime minister keeps coming up in speculation about who the next president of the European Commission will be. When asked, Jan Peter Balkenende says he needs to finish his job in The Hague.

A well-connected source in Brussels this week said that: "I hear from all corners that he is in a good position." The source added that Balkenende is himself interested in the prestigious post.

However, the Dutch prime minister called the appearance of his name "remarkable." He said, "I understand that his issue came up in an interview between Dutch journalists with my colleague [minister of finance and deputy prime minister] Wouter Bos."

Balkenende said that it would be good for Europe if the current president of the commission Jose Manuel Barroso could extend his tenure beyond the fall. >>> News staff | Friday, January 23, 2009

The Dawning of a New Dark Age (Paperback & Hardback – The Netherlands) >>>