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[webfact]

Still no deal on top EU jobs despite all-night haggling

By Belén Carreño, Richard Lough and Robin Emmott

 

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani, Italian Foreign Minister Enzo Moavero Milanesi and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte talk during round table at a European Union leaders summit that aims to select candidates for top EU institution jobs, in Brussels, Belgium June 30, 2019. Olivier Hoslet/Pool via REUTERS

 

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union leaders were locked in all-night negotiations over the bloc's top jobs, but as day broke on Monday there was still no deal on who should lead its executive as political groups jockeyed for influence.

 

When the leaders of the EU's 28 member-states gathered for the emergency summit on Sunday, Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans was in pole position to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president, under a deal hatched on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Japan last week.

 

However, the plan encountered stiff opposition from eastern European states as well as the centre-right European People's Party bloc before the summit even got underway, forcing Donald Tusk, the head of the European Council, to spend the night holding bilateral talks in search of a consensus candidate.

 

None appeared to emerge and by 0500 CET (0300 GMT) Timmermans was once again the favourite as the haggling continued, diplomats said.

 

Asked if a deal was within reach, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told reporters: "It's very difficult to say. At the moment there doesn't seem to be an agreement."

 

The impasse underlines broader decision-making problems facing the EU, which has struggled to respond to a series of crises in recent years, from migration to climate change and the aftermath of the global financial crisis.

 

"It's a bit like Brexit. We know what people don't want but very few say what they want," said one European diplomat, comparing the talks to Britain's as yet unsuccessful attempts to leave the European Union.

 

The summit is a third attempt to fill five top posts running the European Union for the next five years, forging policy for the world's biggest free trade area and more than 500 million people.

 

Other jobs up for grabs include the next president of the European Central Bank, but that decision will almost certainly be postponed as leaders try and break the deadlock of the Commission chief.

 

"NO WHITE SMOKE"

The plan to award Timmermans, a 58-year-old former foreign minister who speaks six languages, the Commission presidency was brokered by the leaders of France, Germany, Spain and Holland in Osaka after there was no majority support for the candidate of the EPP.

 

The EPP is the largest group in the EU parliament though it does not have a majority. As a trade-off, the EPP could be handed the less influential job of European Parliament president. But the plan has met with fierce resistance.

 

"The vast majority of EPP prime ministers don't believe that we should give up the presidency quite so easily, without a fight," Ireland's centre-right Prime Minister Leo Varadkar told reporters.

 

The EPP rebellion underlined how weakened German Chancellor Angela Merkel, whose Christian Democrat party belongs to the group, has become as she prepares to handover to her successor.

 

A second European official described her as being in a "very weak moment", struggling to control her party and with much scrutiny of her health after suffering two episodes of shaking in public.

 

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.

 

"Still no white smoke," Dutch liberal EU lawmaker Sophie in't Veld said on Twitter. "No other major democracy in the world has such a bizarre and arcane method for choosing its political leadership."

 

(Additional reporting by Andreas Rinke; Editing by Robin Emmott)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-07-01

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[sammieuk1]

I hear no deal is better than a bad deal from a distant memory ???? 

[wombat]

the snout food in the trough is worth haggling over.

[JAG]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

"Still no white smoke," Dutch liberal EU lawmaker Sophie in't Veld said on Twitter. "No other major democracy in the world has such a bizarre and arcane method for choosing its political leadership."

That night be because it is not really a "major democracy"...

[malagateddy]

The ferrets are still boxing in the sack[emoji23]

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

[RickBradford]

This is exactly the kind of opaque, meaningless, undemocratic process the UK is trying to get away from.

 

Only a handful of people care a fig about who ends up running this organisation, and they are already members of the top end of the organisation itself.

[bomber]

29 minutes ago, RickBradford said:

This is exactly the kind of opaque, meaningless, undemocratic process the UK is trying to get away from.

 

Only a handful of people care a fig about who ends up running this organisation, and they are already members of the top end of the organisation itself.

is that the same undemocratic process where a party could get 32% of the vote yet a party who gets 25% governs?

[RickBradford]

56 minutes ago, bomber said:

is that the same undemocratic process where a party could get 32% of the vote yet a party who gets 25% governs?

No.

 

It's the undemocratic process where nobody votes at all.

 

Everything is decided by horse-trading between a handful of apparatchiks.

[Burma Bill]

The beginning of the end???

[bomber]

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

The beginning of the end???

if 15 hours is the beginning of the end then where does 3 years plus leave the UK? You brexiteers sure are clutching at straws,the EU will outlive every single one of you.

[aright]

Read this and tell me what part EU citizens play in the election of top officials in this autocratic system?

Once again the EU demonstrates its dislike of democracy and a preference for Coronations.

 

https://www.srnnews.com/emergency-eu-summit-on-top-jobs-runs-into-trouble-again/

 

 

[bomber]

10 minutes ago, aright said:

Read this and tell me what part EU citizens play in the election of top officials in this autocratic system?

Once again the EU demonstrates its dislike of democracy and a preference for Coronations.

 

https://www.srnnews.com/emergency-eu-summit-on-top-jobs-runs-into-trouble-again/

 

 

another piece of useless information that wont affect 99.99% of the UK public,job losses/the price of a pint and the price of a packet of fags/litre of fuel much more of interest.

[bomber]

18 minutes ago, aright said:

Read this and tell me what part EU citizens play in the election of top officials in this autocratic system?

Once again the EU demonstrates its dislike of democracy and a preference for Coronations.

 

https://www.srnnews.com/emergency-eu-summit-on-top-jobs-runs-into-trouble-again/

 

 

you say democracy but the next president needs 72%, there are many leaders on the planet with a percentage that high,milkshake man wont ever get anywhere near it,he needs to stop hiding in the toilet and get out on the front line with tommy and the boys 

[aright]

4 minutes ago, bomber said:

you say democracy but the next president needs 72%, there are many leaders on the planet with a percentage that high,milkshake man wont ever get anywhere near it,he needs to stop hiding in the toilet and get out on the front line with tommy and the boys 

Are you back from an exciting weekend in Chesterfield?

I need to make the question clearer.

"Read this and tell me what part EU citizens play in the election of top officials in this autocratic system?" I didn't ask what part EU leaders play.

 

You might also want to comment on what's democratic about a deal hatched among key EU leaders. 

 

Why not try answering the questions I ask not the ones you wish I had asked.

 

 

 

[aright]

32 minutes ago, bomber said:

another piece of useless information that wont affect 99.99% of the UK public,job losses/the price of a pint and the price of a packet of fags/litre of fuel much more of interest.

Just a reminder, this post is about the EU not the UK.

This article was originally published by Reuters famous for useless information.

 

[observer90210]

Every nation's politician in the EU parliament,  is giving a dog fight to get the best paid job as that's all that they really care for...

[bomber]

7 minutes ago, aright said:

Just a reminder, this post is about the EU not the UK.

This article was originally published by Reuters famous for useless information.

 

ignore it then instead of making it out to be of great importance to the UK,we are electing a new leader and less than 2% of the population will decide the outcome,whats democratic about that? and it takes 6-8 weeks yet brexiteers are up in arms because the EU havent elected their man in 1 day,you couldnt make it up

[aright]

8 minutes ago, bomber said:

nobody cares who is president,it doesnt effect their lives,most of the 17 million wont even be aware there is even anything going on,cricket,football/wimbledon are of more concern,folks looking for a moan and someone to blame for their woes will take an interest,ladies and gentle man i give you aright

I won't repeat the questions again, you are obviously incapable of answering them.

[Laughing Gravy]

Amazing. The EU can't find a replacement for Junker the drunk. People go on about the UK and Boris. Absolutely hilarious with their 5 presidents, all unelcted of course.

[the guest]

UK is right to leave the EU, after all it's an un-democratic and highly corrupt organization bent on serving themselves and not being held to account due to the lack of transparency.

 

An interesting read is the "Werner Report"

http://www.charleshenry.co.uk/thoughts/the-strange-case-of-the-werner-report/#secondary

 

This clarifies what went on in the 1970's, the then PM Edward Heath, totally deceived the public in knowing the implications of joining the EEC (now the EU).

 

Even then it was quite clear that the EEC Beurocrats had a very different agenda (not told to the British public) that it was their ultimate intention to form a Federal Europe.

 

Whilst we complain about Thailand, it seems that even in the EU, the behaviour of this very secretive organization is exactly the same.

 

Time to dismantle the EU, so that countries can reclaim their sovereign rights.