European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker’s Lighter Moments

As Jean-Claude Juncker prepares to step down as European Commission president after five years at the helm of the EU executive, the BBC looks back at the lighter moments of his tenure.

Brexit Has Made Britain's Problems Worse, Says Juncker

THE GUARDIAN: Outgoing EU chief calls UK’s departure a cycle of ‘promises, promises not kept, and lies’

Brexit has worsened Britain’s problems, the outgoing head of the European commission has said in another parting shot at the UK government.

Jean-Claude Juncker, who is standing down as head of the EU executive, delivered a typically blunt assessment in an interview with Germany’s public broadcaster, ARD.

“Britain also has problems other than Brexit and these problems have got bigger with Brexit. They are trying to cover that up, but they just got bigger,” he said.

Juncker also described Britain’s departure from the European Union as a perpetual cycle of “promises, promises not kept, and lies repeated over and over again”, two days after he accused Boris Johnson of telling “so many lies” during the 2016 campaign. » | Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Wednesday, November 6, 2019

Abschiedsrede im Parlament: Juncker: Bekämpft den dummen Nationalismus

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Nach fünf Jahren an der Spitze der EU-Kommission verabschiedet sich Jean-Claude Juncker vor dem Europaparlament. Er mahnt: „Frieden ist nicht selbstverständlich.“

Mit einer emotionalen Rede hat EU-Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker sich nach fünf Jahren Amtszeit verabschiedet und seine Erfolge herausgestrichen. „Ich scheide aus dem Amt nicht betrübt, auch nicht übermäßig glücklich, aber im Gefühl, mich redlich bemüht zu haben“, sagte der 64-Jährige am Dienstag im Europaparlament. „Ich war stolz darauf, während langer Zeit und vor allem in den letzten fünf Jahren ein kleines Teilchen eines größeren Ganzen zu sein, das wichtiger ist als wir.“

Der Luxemburger erinnerte daran, dass die Europäische Union vor allem ein Friedensprojekt sei. „Frieden ist nicht selbstverständlich, und wir sollten stolz darauf sein, dass Europa den Frieden erhält“, sagte Juncker. Darüber müsse man auch mit jungen Menschen reden. Den Parlamentariern gab er mit auf den Weg: „Bekämpft mit aller Kraft den dummen Nationalismus.“ Seine Rede schloss Juncker mit den Worten: „Es lebe Europa!“ » | Quelle: nto./dpa/AFP | Dienstag, 22. Oktober 2019

Exclusive: Juncker Brands Britons ‘Part-time Europeans’ Who Were Never Fully in the Union

The EU Will Not Renegotiate Brexit Deal, Juncker Tells Johnson

THE GUARDIAN: European commission president tells PM existing deal is ‘the best and only agreement possible’

European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has told Boris Johnson that the bloc’s member nations will not give in to his demand to renegotiate the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

On Thursday, Juncker – in his first telephone call with Johnson since he took over as British prime minister – called the existing deal “the best and only agreement possible”.

Johnson has insisted that the current agreement to leave the EU and arrangements regarding the Irish border were not good enough and had to be renegotiated.

Juncker the EU would analyse any ideas put forward by the UK, provided they are compatible with the withdrawal agreement, spokeswoman Mina Andreeva tweeted in a readout of the phone call. The pair also exchanged phone numbers and agreed to remain in touch. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, July 25, 2019

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: Europeans Have Lost Their 'Libido' for Each Other

Jean-Claude Juncker claims Europeans have lost their 'collective libido'.

State of the Union: Jean-Claude Juncker sur l’état de l’Union européenne

A quelques mois des élections européennes, Jean-Claude Juncker a prononcé ce mercredi son quatrième et dernier discours sur l’état de l’Union.

Devant le Parlement européen à Strasbourg, le président de la Commission a fait le bilan des douze derniers mois et a présenté les grandes priorités de l'exécutif européen pour l’année à venir.

En substance, voici les grands points abordés dans son discours : - le président de la Commission appelle l'UE à "devenir davantage un acteur global"

- il désire une force de "10 000 gardes-frontières européens" d'ici 2020/>

- il propose "une nouvelle alliance" entre l'UE et l'Afrique

- sur le brexit, il indique que Londres ne peut pas être uniquement "dans certaines parties du marché unique"

- il souhaite "renforcer le rôle international de l'euro" face au dollar.

Juncker Delivers Annual State of the Union Address

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker delivers his fourth State of the Union address in the European Parliament in Strasbourg on September 12. This year's speech comes ahead of the 2019 European elections and highlights the ongoing debate about the future of the European Union.

EU's Juncker: UK 'Will Regret Brexit' - BBC News

The EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tells the European parliament in his annual state of the union speech that the EU will always regret Brexit - and the UK will, too.

Jean-Claude Juncker Says English Is 'Losing Importance' after Brexit as UK 'Abandons' Europe

THE TELEGRAPH: Jean-Claude Juncker has accused Britain of "abandoning" the EU and joked that the English language is "losing its importance in Europe" because of Brexit.

Donald Tusk, the President of the European Council, on Thursday warned Theresa May and Mr Juncker that Brexit negotiations could become "impossible" if they become "emotional".

However despite the call for calm Mr Juncker, the President of the European Commission, told a conference in the Italian city of Florence that Brexit is a "tragedy". (+ video) » | Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor | Friday, , May 5, 2017

Yanis Varoufakis On Brexit: 'How Can These Smart People Be So Deluded' - BBC Newsnight

Yanis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister, resigned back in 2015 at the height of the crisis there. He has now written a book about the whole experience, Adults in the Room - and he spoke to Evan Davis about Brexit and the UK's general election.

Juncker bei May: Das desaströse Brexit-Dinner

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: Als EU-Kommissionspräsident Juncker mit der britischen Premierministerin May dinierte, hatten sie Wichtiges zu besprechen. Aber sie redeten aneinander vorbei. Am Ende sagte Juncker, er sei „zehnmal skeptischer als zuvor“. Es sollte ein Weckruf sein.

Jean-Claude Juncker hat schon viele schwierige Verhandlungen erlebt. Mit Alexis Tsipras rang der Präsident der Europäischen Kommission monatelang darum, dass Griechenland seine Pflichten erfüllt. Und mit Viktor Orbán streitet er seit der Flüchtlingskrise über europäische Solidarität. Juncker ist der Typ, der auch nach solchen Gesprächen, wenn allen die Köpfe qualmen, seinen Gesprächspartnern kumpelhaft auf die Schultern haut und sagt, man werde schon eine Lösung finden. Als der Kommissionspräsident am Mittwochabend den Amtssitz der britischen Premierministerin verließ, lag ein weiteres denkwürdiges Treffen hinter ihm. Er war freundlich empfangen worden, es war nie laut geworden, aber nach beschwichtigenden Worten war ihm nicht zumute. Juncker war tief schockiert, und er machte keinen Hehl daraus. „I’m leaving Downing Street ten times more skeptical than I was before“, sagte er seiner Gastgeberin zum Abschied. » | Von Thomas Gutschker | Montag, 1. Mai 2017

Jean-Claude Juncker Says Theresa May Is 'Deluded' in Scathing Call with Angela Merkel after Brexit Talks

THE TELEGRAPH: The European Union has warned that it is "more likely than not" that Brexit talks will fail after Jean Claude Juncker accused Theresa May of being "deluded" in the wake of a tense Downing Street dinner.

The President of the European Commission launched a scathing attack on Mrs May after the meeting on Wednesday last week, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung reported.

He reportedly claimed during the meeting that Brexit "cannot be a success" and threatened to end talks without a trade deal if Britain refuses to pay a "divorce" bill.

The Prime Minister said that the UK is not legally obliged to pay the EU anything as it leaves the EU. Mr Juncker and his colleagues responded by saying that Britain cannot simply cancel its membership of the EU as if it was a "golf club". Read on and comment » | Helena Horton and Steven Swinford, Deputy Political Editor | Monday, May 1, 2017

EU Threatens Theresa May on Trade Talks and Its Citizens' Rights

THE GUARDIAN: European leaders take hard line on Brexit at special summit, agreeing unanimously on rigid stance in just four minutes

The European Union has called on Theresa May to provide immediate “serious and real” guarantees to its citizens living in Britain. The EU leaders took just four minutes at a special summit to agree unanimously an uncompromising opening stance in the Brexit negotiations.

Leaders said they would not discuss a future trade deal with the British government until “sufficient progress” is made on the issues of Britain’s estimated €60bn divorce bill, the rights of EU nationals in the UK, and the border in Ireland.

The European commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, told reporters at the special summit in Brussels that EU citizens in Britain were the number one priority, and that he had discussed the need for Britain to now live up to its warm words regarding EU citizens during a dinner with the prime minister in Downing Street last week. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Saturday, April 29, 2017

Brexit: EU-Kommission befürchtet Scheitern der Verhandlungen

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE: In Brüssel hält man ein Scheitern der Gespräche für wahrscheinlicher als einen Erfolg. Die britische Regierungschefin May stellte bei einem Treffen mit Kommissionschef Juncker aus EU-Sicht vollkommen überzogene Forderungen.

In der EU-Kommission herrscht große Skepsis über einen erfolgreichen Abschluss der Brexit-Verhandlungen mit dem Vereinigten Königreich. Grund dafür ist der Verlauf des Treffens zwischen Kommissionspräsident Jean-Claude Juncker und der britischen Premierministerin Theresa May am vergangenen Mittwoch in London. » | von Thomas Gutschker | Sonntag, 30. April 2017

Up to 100,000 UK Jobs At Risk as Merkel and Juncker Ally Warns on Euro Clearing

THE GUARDIAN: EU lawmaker Manfred Weber says sector must relocate out of City of London after Brexit

The future of an estimated 100,000 jobs has been plunged into doubt after a close political ally of the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and president of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, warned that a prized sector in the City of London must relocate to EU soil after Brexit.

Manfred Weber, the leader of the largest political group in the European parliament, to which both the German chancellor and the commission president belong, told reporters that euro-denominated clearing could no longer be undertaken in the City when the UK leaves the EU.

“EU citizens decide on their own money,” Weber said during a press conference in Strasbourg on Tuesday. “When the UK is leaving the European Union it is not thinkable that at the end the whole euro business is managed in London. This is an external place, this is not an EU place any more. The euro business should be managed on EU soil.” Read on and comment » | Daniel Boffey | Tuesday, April 4, 2017

Texit? EU President Juncker Threatens to Promote Texas Independence as Trump Backs Brexit

Donald Trump has been warned by the head of the EU Commission to watch out for breakaway states in America. Jean-Claude Juncker claimed that if President Trump keeps on encouraging EU countries to leave the bloc, he should expect the same thing to happen in the US.

EU Not in "Hostile Mood" on Brexit Says Juncker - BBC News

With the UK about to trigger the process for leaving the EU, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has been talking to the BBC's Europe Editor Katya Adler about the challenges ahead with - and without - Britain.

UK Will Rejoin the EU One Day, Suggests Jean-Claude Juncker

THE GUARDIAN: European commission president says he regrets Brexit but hopes Britain will return in the future


Britain will one day rejoin the EU, the president of the European commission has suggested at the end of a summit to discuss the future of the bloc.

Jean-Claude Juncker told reporters on Friday that he regretted Britain’s decision to leave but held out hope that it would return in the future. “I don’t like Brexit,” he said. “I would like to be in the same boat as the British. The day will come when the British re-enter the boat. I hope.”

A senior Juncker aide later said the option of Britain returning to the EU “will always be open”. » | Daniel Boffey and Jennifer Rankin in Brussels | Friday, March 10, 2017