The end of Spitzenkandidat: EU leaders concluded unexpectedly on EU top jobs

Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EC, received Ursula von der Leyen, German Federal Minister for Defence.
Date: 09/04/2015. Location: Brussels – EC/Berlaymont. Photographer: Georges Boulougouris. © European Union, 2015. Source: EC – Audiovisual Service

The EU leaders finally came to a conclusion after three long days of tough negotiations where German Chancellor’s suggestion to appoint Frans Timmermans as next European Commission president has been turned down by Italy and eastern countries. The solution was given with the nomination of a woman and particularly German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen. But the gender equality tactics continued last night when the EU leaders chose Christine Lagarde, the French managing director of the International Monetary Fund, as the first female European Central Bank (ECB) president. They thus unlocked the critical situation on deciding about the EU top jobs. As regards the remaining senior positions, Belgian prime minister Charles Michel was selected to be the next president of the European Council while Josep Borrell, Spanish former foreign minister, the new foreign policy chief. Unexpected EC nomination The fierceful three-day negotiations ended with an unexpected outcome. The Spitzenkandidat or “lead candidate” procedure has not been respected by the bloc’s leaders rejecting the nomination of Manfred Weber as the next EC president and for the first time in the history of the European institutions there are expected to be two women in the leading positions of the European Commision and the European Central Bank. However, the EU leaders found common grounds on Ursula von der Leyen after having rejected Angela Merkel’s proposal to nominate Dutch Frans Timmermans to the most powerful job in Brussels. Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia opposed to that suggestion insisting that Mr Timmermans was not suitable for this job. More specifically, Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis said yesterday that: “We have said that we do not want Mr Timmermans as European Commission president for various reasons. It is unacceptable for us, it would be total catastrophe.” Germany and France support Ursula von der Leyen The two most powerful economies in the Old Continent have been struggling to find a compromise and the right candidates for the EU top jobs. After marathon talks, it seems that Germany and France endorse the result even if it was not the one initially proposed. Donald Tusk mentioned after the conclusion of the summit that Germany had abstained on Ms Von der Leyen’s nomination over coalition issues but the German Chancellor had backed her up. In detail, Angela Merkel said: “It is important that we were able to decide with great unity today, and that is important because it’s about our future ability to work.” French President Emmanuel Macron pointed that the nominations were “the fruit of a deep Franco-German entente”. Moreover, the selection of Ms Von der Leyen to replace Jean-Claude Juncker was also supported by Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia. Without the consent of the Visegrad 4 bloc, Ursula von der Leyen would most likely have had the fate of the Dutch social democrat Frans Timmermans. Hence, it seems that the EU balances are now shifting and Germany and France are not imposing their will to the other member states as in the past. EU top jobs candidates The EU leaders not only managed to nominate the next EC president but also appointed the remaining EU top positions. Christine Lagarde is going to be the successor of Mario Draghi as head of the ECB leaving Washington and the International Monetary Fund where she has been exercising her duties for the last eight years. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar mentioned after the female nominations: “That’s a very important statement that Europe leads on gender equality. It might have taken three days, but it’s a good outcome overall”. Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel was chosen to lead the European Council in the place of Donald Tusk whereas Spanish Foreign Minister Josep Borrell will become high representative for foreign policy. However, the nominations of the EC President, the European Council President and the EU foreign foreign policy chief will have to be corroborated by the European Parliament which convenes today to elect its President. All in all, the long duration of the summit where tough negotiations took place between the EU heads of state, combined with the extreme pressure to reach an agreement has showed that Germany and France are not the only players in the EU arena.

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Interesting reads

© UNICEF/Royena Rasnat A group of Rohingya refugee children attend an activity centre in Cox's Bazar in Bangladesh.

Refugee numbers drop for first time in a decade, but millions remain trapped

This article is published in association with United Nations. Global forced displacement has decreased for the first time in a decade, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) reported on Thursday, though the figure remains unacceptably high and tens of millions of people are still trapped in prolonged exile with little prospect of rebuilding their lives. UNHCR‘s flagship […]
This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

Miles for Water: The Daily Health Burden of Climate Change on Women

This article was exclusively written for The European Sting by Ms. Jasminy Musa Belotti Dessiyeh, a 19-year-old medical student at FACISB (Faculdade de Ciências da Saúde de Barretos), Brazil. She is affiliated with the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA), cordial partner of The Sting. The opinions expressed in this piece belong strictly to the writer and […]
© UNICEF A child is vaccinated against multiple diseases at a health centre in Cuba.

Children are dying as US sanctions push Cuba to the brink, warns UN human rights chief

This article is published in association with United Nations. Children are dying because doctors cannot access essential medicines, UN human rights chief Volker Türk said in a stark warning on Monday, calling for the immediate lifting of United States sanctions against the Caribbean nation that were causing “widespread harm”. “The fuel restrictions imposed since early 2026 and recent tightening of […]
© UNOCHA/Adedeji Ademigbuji Children displaced by the recent violence in Jonglei State, South Sudan, sit outside a church, home to thousands of displaced people.

World News in Brief: Millions displaced in South Sudan, global meat supply quadruples, Middle East crisis deepens global hunger

This article is published in association with United Nations. Months of fighting and insecurity have forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes in South Sudan’s eastern Jonglei State, triggering “one of the most severe conflict-related displacement emergencies in recent years”, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) said on Friday.  Tweet URL Fighting between the […]
© WFP/Marco Frattini Aid is distributed to displaced families in northern Lebanon.

Lebanon crisis: Needs soar as UN launches new funding appeal

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN in Lebanon appealed for an additional $331.5 million on Friday to help 1.4 million people in crisis as already massive needs continue to grow, three months since deadly violence erupted between Hezbollah fighters and Israeli forces. “Humanitarian needs are soaring with each day of the […]
© UNICEF/Amer Almohibany Destroyed buildings in Harasta, Ghouta. A suburb of Damascus, Ghouta was the site of a deadly chemical weapons attack in August 2013.

Undeclared chemical weapons found in Syria, including type used in notorious Ghouta massacre

This article is published in association with United Nations. Chemical weapons inspectors have uncovered a significant cache of previously undeclared chemical weapons in Syria – including rockets of the same type used in the notorious 2013 Ghouta attack – in what the UN’s top disarmament official called a “momentous discovery” for international security. Izumi Nakamitsu briefed […]
© UNICEF Vanessa Frazier, Special Representative on Children and Armed Conflict, during a visit to frontline areas in Ukraine.

Growing up with sirens: UN child rights envoy on the toll of the Ukraine-Russia war

This article is published in association with United Nations. Children in Ukraine have been profoundly impacted by years of war, sheltering in underground schools – or forced to study online – and living with the psychological strain of constant air raid sirens that could spell death for them and their families. But children on both sides […]
OCHA/Charlotte Cans The El Niño-induced drought in Ziway Dugda, Oromia region of Ethiopia, is affecting every family and they don't have enough food at home to feed themselves. (file photo).

El Niño confirmed, set to fuel more extreme weather, says WMO

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN urged all countries on Tuesday to bolster early warning systems after confirming the onset of El Niño, warning that the Pacific Ocean-warming phenomenon will bring above-average temperatures “nearly everywhere” and fuel more extreme weather. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), there is an 80 […]
© UNICEF The aftermath of a Russian strike on a residential area in Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

UN deplores another wave of Russian attacks across Ukraine

This article is published in association with United Nations. Overnight attacks in three key cities in Ukraine have left several civilians dead, scores more injured, and homes, hospitals and shops destroyed or damaged, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in the country said on Tuesday.  Matthias Schmale condemned the large-scale Russian assault on the capital Kyiv, as well as Dnipro and Kharkiv, […]
© WHO/Joël Lumbala A shipment of essential medical supplies for the Ebola response arrives at Bunia airport in Ituri province, DR Congo.

DR Congo Ebola outbreak: Nurses discharged after full recovery

This article is published in association with United Nations. Four nurses who fell ill with Ebola in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been discharged from hospital after recovering from the often-fatal illness that sparked an international health alert.  “More recoveries are expected, especially when people are diagnosed early and able to access care, and […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

Under fire, Kharkiv is already building for a peaceful tomorrow

This article is published in association with United Nations. Every day in Kharkiv begins with uncertainty: air raid sirens interrupt sleep; missiles strike residential neighbourhoods, industrial sites, and roads. Anxious citizens rush into metro stations during bombardments and children study underground. Yet amid the destruction, Ukraine’s second-largest city is doing something that may seem almost impossible […]
© UNOCHA A heavily damaged apartment building in Sloviansk, eastern Ukraine.

UN warns Ukraine war risks spiralling ‘out of control’

This article is published in association with United Nations. The United Nations on Thursday warned of a dangerous escalation in the war in Ukraine after a wave of large-scale Russian strikes and threats of further attacks, with Secretary-General António Guterres saying “the death spiral must stop.” Addressing the Security Council in New York, Mr. Guterres said […]
© WHO A frontline health worker in PPE (personal protective equipment) takes part in the Ebola response in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo collides with conflict and hunger, WHO warns

This article is published in association with United Nations. The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday warned that eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo faces a “catastrophic collision of disease and conflict” as a fast-spreading Ebola outbreak outpaces containment efforts in a region already battered by armed violence, mass displacement and acute hunger. WHO Director-General […]
© WFP/Michael Castofas WFP staff and responders handle boxes of supplies at a logistics site in DR Congo during the Ebola outbreak.

International airlines urged to stick to safety measures in wake of Ebola outbreak

This article is published in association with United Nations. As a deadly Ebola strain continues to spread in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with cases confirmed in neighbouring Uganda, the UN aviation agency is urging governments and flight operators to closely follow guidelines put in place following the COVID-19 pandemic. The outbreak of the […]
© WHO Supplies to bolster the response against the Ebola outbreak in Ituri province arrive in the town of Bunia.

Ebola epidemic spreading rapidly and outpacing containment efforts

This article is published in association with United Nations. There are more than 900 suspected cases of the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 220 suspected deaths, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Ghebreyesus, said on Monday. The latest outbreak of the deadly disease, which WHO has declared […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

WHO chief calls for urgent Ebola action and pandemic preparedness

This article is published in association with United Nations. The recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks demonstrate that the world is still vulnerable to rapidly spreading infectious diseases, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned on Saturday at the close of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva. His call came as Ugandan […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

UN agencies step up Ebola response in eastern DR Congo

This article is published in association with United Nations. United Nations agencies have moved swiftly to support efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), delivering emergency medical supplies, protective equipment and logistics support. As health authorities in both the DRC and Uganda respond to the deadly resurgence, the […]
© UNICEF/Josue Mulala Emergency aid is prepared for delivery to Kasaï province in response to the recently declared Ebola virus disease outbreak in DR Congo.

Ebola risk is high inside DR Congo but it’s no pandemic emergency: WHO

This article is published in association with United Nations. The deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda does not represent a global pandemic emergency, although the risk is high at a regional and national level, the UN health agency chief said on Wednesday. In an update on the fast-developing situation in […]
This article is published in association with United Nations.

How the Hormuz crisis keeps disrupting kitchens, ports and paychecks

This article is published in association with United Nations. The fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran may have eased fears of a wider regional war, but persistent instability around the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global trade, drive up energy costs and fuel a growing jobs and cost-of-living crisis. The fallout is being […]

Why don't you drop your comment here?

Go back up

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

Discover more from The European Sting - Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology - europeansting.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading

The European Sting – Critical News & Insights on European Politics, Economy, Foreign Affairs, Business & Technology – europeansting.com