| Series Title | EurActiv |
|---|---|
| Series Details | 27.06.14 |
| Publication Date | 27/06/2014 |
| Content Type | News |
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Meeting in the European Council on 26-27 June, EU leaders decided on Jean-Claude Juncker as their candidate for President of the European Commission. For the first time in the history of the European Council a vote was taken on the choice and the United Kingdom and Hungary voted against the nomination of Mr Juncker. EUObserver reported that the decision represented a diplomatic defeat for UK Prime Minister David Cameron, but also a new shift in the balance of power amongst the EU Institutions to the European Parliament's gain. Mr Cameron said: 'This is a bad day for Europe It risks undermining the position of national governments. It risks undermining the power of national parliaments. And it hands power to the European Parliament'. EUObserver also reported that EU leaders said in a post-decision statement that they planned to review the way they chose European Commission Presidents in the future after having found themselves left with little room for manoeuvre following the European Parliament-pushed process. The Guardian and other news sources reported that after the decision German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised a review of nomination process for Commission President seen as a sign of sympathy for David Cameron, and Sweden's Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt also showed sympathy for flexibility in the future. The BBC reported on the 29 June 2014 that David Cameron and Jean-Claude Juncker spoke together on the telephone on that day. The Prime Minister's office issued a statement: 'The prime minister congratulated Mr Juncker on running a successful campaign and securing the council nomination. They discussed how they would work together to make the EU more competitive and more flexible. The PM welcomed Mr Juncker's commitment of finding a fair deal for Britain and Mr Juncker said that he was fully committed to finding solutions for the political concerns of the UK'. |
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| Source Link | http://www.euractiv.com/sections/eu-elections-2014/juncker-veteran-eu-insider-loathed-britain-303143 |
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| Subject Categories | Politics and International Relations |
| Countries / Regions | Europe |
