EU leaders wrapped up a two-day summit on a low note on Friday (21 June), having failed to agree on the distribution of the EU’s top jobs for the next five years and watering down a landmark climate agreement for 2050.
A new summit was set for 30 June to deal only with the top jobs.
The differences abounded. France and Germany remain at odds on even the basic principle – whether the new Commission president should be chosen from the designated lead candidates of the political groups, the Spitzenkandidaten, or not.
French President Emmanuel Macron is in favour of ditching the lead candidates. “The Commission president needs to be chosen according to their qualification. Too often have we made compromises in the past, electing people who didn’t necessarily contribute the best to our project,” he said.
The EPP, which won the most seats, is defending its right to nominate the next Commission president.
But the three other main political groups, the Socialists, Macron’s liberals [Renew Europe] and the Greens, have made clear they would not support the EPP’s Manfred Weber.
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