EU leaders reject changes to top jobs
Brussels, (MILLAT ONLINE):European Union leaders at a summit on Friday strongly opposed proposals for a series of post-Brexit reforms to the way the bloc’s top officials are chosen.
Leaders of the 27 countries, minus Britain, rejected plans to let the European Parliament dictate the choice of the successor to EU Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker in 2019.
They also dismissed proposals that Juncker’s job should be merged with that of European Council chief Donald Tusk, who represents the member states, and to shrink the European Commission.
“There was agreement that the European Council cannot guarantee in advance that it will propose one of the lead candidates of the European Parliament for the presidency of the commission,” said Tusk told a press conference.
“There can be no automaticity in this process.”
Tusk added: “Jean-Claude also presented the idea of a merger of our two posts, but there was no appetite to take this forward, above all because it would substantially reduce the role of member states in the EU.”
Juncker was appointed in 2014 under an agreement whereby the European Parliament chose a “Spitzenkandidat” or lead candidate, and the European Council of leaders would “take into account” their choice.
At a time of growing anti-EU sentiment, MEPs argued that it was a more democratic way to choose the head of the bloc’s powerful executive arm.
But the leaders rejected calls by the European Parliament for their next candidate to be guaranteed the job after the European elections in May 2019.