Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans has emerged as the favourite to be named the EU's next chief executive, diplomats and officials said on Sunday ahead of a summit in Brussels, but faces resistance from eastern European countries. Nevertheless, the EU leaders failed on Monday to find a consenus on on who should get the bloc's top jobs.
Timmermans, a former Dutch foreign minister who speaks six languages, has become the compromise candidate for France and Germany after a G20 summit in Japan this weekend, two diplomats and one European Parliament adviser said.
If confirmed, the choice would mark a victory for centrists and liberals, who challenged what they saw as increasing German domination in Brussels, and would end 15 years of centre-right control of the European Commission.
The outgoing president, former Luxembourgish Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker said his 58-year-old deputy was 'one of those who have to be taken seriously into account' when choosing his successor.
But Eastern European leaders arriving at the summit were opposed to Timmermans, who in his current role as vice president of the Commission has repeatedly accused Poland and Hungary of violating civil rights.
To be appointed, the next Commission president needs the support of at least 72% of the 28 member states, who must represent at least 65% of the EU population.
Postponed until Tuesday
Austria's acting Chancellor Brigitte Bierlein said that a proposal on how to allot the EU's top jobs that failed on Monday was not balanced enough, while Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte added that the EU's failure to reach a deal was because the process is "unbelievably complicated."
The inability of EU leaders to find consensus candidates during marathon negotiations that ran through the night reflected the fragmented state of the bloc's parliament, and underlined the problems in reaching a common position on issues from migration to climate change that have grown as the bloc has expanded.
Eastern European countries had strongly objected to a deal hatched by the leaders of France, Germany and Spain to hand the European Commission presidency to Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans, who in his current role as vice president of the Commission has repeatedly accused Poland and Hungary of violating civil rights.
Timmermans' nomination was also deeply unpopular with the centre-right European People's Party (PEP) group in the European Parliament, which argued it should hold the Commission presidency as it has the most lawmakers in parliament.
Leaders are seeking a balance of men and women at the top, and also a balance between eastern and western member states.
The summit was suspended until Tuesday when leaders will reconvene in Brussels to try produce a deal on who should get the bloc's top jobs.
Autor: gf / Źródło: TVN24 News in English, Reuters