EU fails to agree on top jobs, more talks on June 30

[webfact]

EU fails to agree on top jobs, more talks on June 30

By Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska

 

French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a meeting prior the European Union leaders summit in Brussels, Belgium, June 20, 2019. Kenzo Tribouillard/Pool via REUTERS

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders will meet again on June 30 to seek agreement on who should inherit the bloc's top jobs - including the head of its central bank - after failing to get a deal at the second attempt in talks dragging into the small hours on Friday.

 

The 28 national leaders meeting in Brussels for secret deliberations - no aides or phones allowed - remained at odds on who should steer the bloc in coming years.

 

"There was no majority for any candidate," summit chairman Donald Tusk told a news conference. "We will meet again on June 30."

 

The prominent positions, including the head of the European Central Bank and the EU's executive European Commission, lead the bloc's policies on issues ranging from monetary policy to migration and Brexit to trade.

 

For the European Union, the Commission presidency is a pivotal job. The body acts as the bloc's competition watchdog, oversees national budgets and proposes policies from climate change to tech regulation - big areas as member states struggle with a range of challenges at home and abroad.

 

"I note with certain amusement that it is not easy to replace me," said Jean-Claude Juncker, whose term as the Commission chief expires at the end of October.

 

The bloc's top five jobs - including the head of the European Council tasked with crafting compromises between member states, whose particular interests often vary - are all changing hands later this year after an EU-wide election.

 

Power centres Berlin and Paris clashed over who should take over at the helm of the Commission, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel backing compatriot Manfred Weber, a deputy head of her centre-right sister party CSU.

 

French President Emmanuel Macron is campaigning to block Weber over lack of government experience. Paris and Madrid want more prominent EU jobs for liberal and socialist candidates after a change of the parliamentary guard.

 

WEBER OUT

Any new Commission chief must not only get the backing of a clear majority - or, preferably, unanimity - of national leaders but must also be accepted by the new European Parliament, which will sit for the first time on July 2.

 

The newly elected legislature has refused to rally behind Weber, even though he heads the biggest faction there, the European People's Party (EPP). This might give Merkel just enough grounds to drop him eventually, diplomats said.

 

"Weber's claim is imploding. The Parliament is more divided than before and has missed the boat. And EPP national leaders are turning their back on him as well," said a senior EU diplomat. "If the Germans lose Weber, the French don't get the job either, it's tit for tat."

 

Possible consolation prizes for Weber include the presidency of the European Parliament, or a deputy head of the next Commission, diplomats said.

Seeking to narrow a wide gender gap in the bloc's leadership is also a factor in a complex race that seeks to balance out party politics and regional influence in the EU.

 

The fifth job in the package of prominent postings up for grabs is the EU's chief diplomat.

 

Other names in the frame include Frenchman Michel Barnier, currently the EU's Brexit negotiator, Croat Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Denmark's Margrethe Vestager, currently the bloc's top competition official, and Belgium's caretaker Prime Minister Charles Michel.

 

Vestager - who has been publicly praised by both Merkel and Macron in the past - could help avoid a tug-of-war between the national leaders and the European Parliament as the liberal faction there has proposed her for the Commission chief.

 

Two of the leading candidates to head the ECB are German Jens Weidmann and French central bank governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau.

 

"It's quicker to elect the pope very often than it is to fill these particular positions," Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar quipped.

 

(Reporting by Belen Carreno, Michel Rose, Jean-Baptiste Vey, Jan Strupczewski, Daphne Psaledakis, Gabriela Baczynska, Alexandra Regida, Sabine Siebold, Foo Yun Chee, Philip Blenkinsop, Peter Maushagen, Andreas Rinke and Robin Emmott; Writing by Gabriela Baczynska; editing by John Stonestreet)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-06-21

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[BritManToo]

2 minutes ago, webfact said:

French President Emmanuel Macron, European Council President Donald Tusk and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attend a meeting prior the European Union leaders summit in Brussels

They aren't even bothering to pretend anyone else has a vote these days.

[Chomper Higgot]

2 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

They aren't even bothering to pretend anyone else has a vote these days.

You wrote dozens of posts about the vote while it was taking place.

 

It seems now to have slipped from your memory.

 

[worgeordie]

30 minutes ago, webfact said:

"I note with certain amusement that it is not easy to replace me," said Jean-Claude Juncker,

They must be looking for a sober person to replace him.

regards Worgeordie

[sungod]

The photo says it all,

[Morch]

10 minutes ago, sungod said:

The photo says it all,

 

That's not saying much.

[Vacuum]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

who should inherit the bloc's top jobs

That's what it's all about.....

[malagateddy]

Oh dear..a few 5 star gravy train jobs up for grabs and the paracites start fighting amongst themselves.

Sent from my SM-G7102 using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[TopDeadSenter]

So happy we will soon be out of this mess.

[Pedrogaz]

Same everywhere...these awful self-serving political people scrambling to get power. I really am sick of politics and politicians.

The longer I live the more I come to realise that no one who aspires to lead others should be let near and positions of power....they always abuse the power they are given. Wanting power should be an automatic disqualification from holding positions of power.

The more I think about it, I would do away with democracy and select a rotating jury at random of say 5000 people (or whatever the minimum size that it is too big to tamper with)...the normal elected politicians can do their thing and then must present all bills and laws to this 'jury'. A clear majority of 60% or more would be needed for any new law to be passed.

[Thongkorn]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

They aren't even bothering to pretend anyone else has a vote these days.

If they vote can WE have a vote again if we dont get the right Vote,

[nauseus]

7 hours ago, worgeordie said:

They must be looking for a sober person to replace him.

regards Worgeordie

Or they can't find anyone else under the table.

[ivor bigun]

Its snout in trough time ,are you ready ,get set,oink ,oink

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[jesimps]

The EU? You mean France and Germany??

[nontabury]

Some remainers claim that the decision to appoint our next P.M is wrong, because the final decision and vote will be taken by Only  150,000 Conservative members. So how many people decide this E.U appointment?

[jesimps]

How about an election by the people? It's called democracy. Although, judging by what's been happening in the UK since the Brexit referendum, maybe it'd be a waste of people's time and energy.

[malagateddy]

Its snout in trough time ,are you ready ,get set,oink ,oink

Sent from my SM-A720F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

Ferrets in a sack??[emoji2][emoji2][emoji2]

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[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, jesimps said:

How about an election by the people? It's called democracy. Although, judging by what's been happening in the UK since the Brexit referendum, maybe it'd be a waste of people's time and energy.

 

Did you miss the EU parliament elections then?

 

So these executive positions are to be appointed by the people elected by the people!

 

Too complicated to grasp?

[JAG]

1 hour ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Did you miss the EU parliament elections then?

 

So these executive positions are to be appointed by the people elected by the people!

 

Too complicated to grasp?

Neither Frau Merkel nor M Macron stood in the recent election, nor did the parties which they head achieve majorities within their countries. Yet they, along with Mr Tusk, who has never stood for election for his EU job, would appear to be the ones making (or failing to reach) decisions.

 

It's not complicated to grasp.

 

And it has the cube root of bugger all to do with any sort of democratic mandate 

[Chomper Higgot]

3 hours ago, jesimps said:

How about an election by the people? It's called democracy. Although, judging by what's been happening in the UK since the Brexit referendum, maybe it'd be a waste of people's time and energy.

One of the popular notions circulating amongst Brexiteers is the idea that the first past the post electoral system will be replaced by proportional representation. 

 

Time for these Brexiteers to look at how the EU elections work. 

[candide]

29 minutes ago, JAG said:

Neither Frau Merkel nor M Macron stood in the recent election, nor did the parties which they head achieve majorities within their countries. Yet they, along with Mr Tusk, who has never stood for election for his EU job, would appear to be the ones making (or failing to reach) decisions.

 

It's not complicated to grasp.

 

And it has the cube root of bugger all to do with any sort of democratic mandate 

The Council is composed of elected governments. The EU Mps were elected. And they elect the different presidents. Is it complicated to grasp?

 

[attento]

On 6/21/2019 at 11:24 AM, jesimps said:

The EU? You mean France and Germany??

No.  They mean Germany.    The old English saying - "he who pays the piper, calls the tune".    Not saying that's wrong -  that's life.  Why should Germany be expected to finance the incompetent administrations that exist in many EU countries, without some level of oversight ?

Edited June 23, 2019 by attento