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BRITISH PRIME MINISTER David Cameron will force fellow EU leaders to vote on who should head the bloc’s executive body if they try to impose Jean-Claude Juncker, Downing Street sources said Sunday.
Cameron, who views the former long-serving Luxembourg prime minister as a federalist who will not adopt the modernising reforms he says the European Union badly needs, has vowed to “fight this right to the very end”.
London feels Juncker is an EU insider to the bone, who will not heed the backlash voters inflicted in last month’s European Parliament elections, but instead press on regardless with Brussels business as usual.
The vote could open the door for Irish Taoiseach Enda Kenny to take Europe’s top job.
European centre-left leaders meeting in Paris yesterday backed Juncker — who is from the centre-right — and the row is set to dominate the two-day summit of all 28 EU leaders starting Thursday.
“The Social Democrats accept that… Juncker must be president of the European Commission.” said Germany’s Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel, who heads the country’s Social Democrats and also attended the Paris talks.
Cameron, who leads Britain’s centre-right Conservatives, wants a delay in the nomination process in an effort to find a consensus candidate.
However, if leaders are unwilling to consider any alternatives to Juncker, Cameron will call a vote, forcing his counterparts from around Europe to say why Juncker should be eased into the job unopposed.
“British officials have been clear… that if there was the political will to find consensus then the decision on commission president could and should be delayed but if leaders are not even willing to consider alternative names, despite their widely expressed misgivings, then a vote should take place,” a Downing Street source said.
Cameron “believes it is important that each leader sets out their position clearly when such an important principle is at stake — handing power to the parliament through a back-room deal.”
EU leaders have traditionally named the commission head on their own, but under new rules they now have to “take into account” the results of European parliamentary elections last month, though exactly what that means remains unclear.
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Well done to Britain for, yet again, forcing a tad more respect for democracy on Europe. Pity it wasn’t done more thoroughly across the board.
The largest party in the parliament has selected Juncker as their candidate – Cameron wants to veto that choice – thats the opposite of democracy (Tory-style)
Cameron supported giving the EU parliament the vote on electing the next commission president….. Because its more democratic.
No, seemingly he doesn’t like that slice of democracy.
Its just smokescreen politics on his part.
Create a bogeyman abroad to distract from problems at home.
Strange so many fall for such an obvious play.
?? Cameron is the one who DOES want a vote.
As a small country, we do not want democracy in the EU. National vetoes, opt-outs, horse trading is what has worked well for us (bar fisheries and nationalising banking debt). Ireland should back our largest trading partner on this one.
Cameron is play acting to his home supporters, knows very well that Junker has almost certainly already got the job.
Just as Enda Kenny knows that Junker will preside over an EU parliament that will introduce common tax laws within the next couple of years. Ireland cannot afford to keep borrowing money to pay off previous loans, it makes no sense and it is time that companies like Apple paid their fair share.
Being the largest party does nt mean they have the democratic authority you suggest. Either way, they ought not fear an open, transparent contest. Oh but wait, this is the EU we are talking about, where democracy is about as relevant as, well, nothing!
“we do not want democracy in ireland”!! Will you kindly change or leave the country. Your statement is appalling! Yes, we want democracy, and much more of it. But democracy demands hard work and it appears that many people are simply too lazy. You do realise of course that proper democracy must respect minority rights. And Britain as our largest trading partner, combined with US, China and Asia, we don’t need Europe with its unnecessary interference and endless bureaucracy! 10% trade with EU would be quite enough. There’s a big world out there beyond Germany!
@keith. What’s the point in misquoting me? Ireland is the Leitrim of the EU. Beautiful countryside, great people but can outvoted by larger neighbours. Ireland should fight for every veto we can. I’m all for Democracy in Ireland but cededing any power to the EU parliament or through QMV at the council is against our national interest. Vetoing a federalist is a good idea.
Cameron only wants only the heads of government to have a vote on this matter. The European Parliament wants European citizens to make that choice through the European elections. The latter is plainly the more democratic.
If Enda Kenny took this job would he have to resign as Toaiseach? Would he have to resign as leader of Fine Gael? Who would replace him? Could this trigger a general election as the leaders of both coalition parties resign whilst in office?
In your dreams. As long as the majority of TDs are happy with government they stay in. No way labour and fine Gael want election.
Journal.ie is dreaming. Kenny is not in the frame to lead the Commission. Cameron is putting his problems with his party’s deep divisions over Europe ahead of British interests (and ours, but hey!) in the EU. He has wasted British influence on tabloid-driven personal attacks on a decent man, whatever you might think about his politics. Junker’s party came first in the recent elections to the European Parliament. This is the critical issue. Cameron opposes parliamentary democracy at the European level, preferring the usual backroom dealing between national leaders. He is wildly out of step with the prevailing mood in Europe and will damage his own reputation and British influence further by tilting at this particular windmill.
Agreed, Kennys name not even in the mix, nor will it be. Sloppy commentary.
God help us all, Enda Kenny as president?
Thanks Desmond.
Your common sense analysis of what’s going on has reassured me. A Europe under President Kenny would be horrendous.
@Desmond……your firm interpretations of what is going on here is at odds with both the wording of the Lisbon Treaty and the obscure nature of politics…..Cameron is right to say that the Treaty Britain (and every other EU state) agreed to did NOT grant the largest European Parliament party the right to have its candidate installed as Commission President, even if this party has Angela Merkel et al as members……If the British want a debate about and nomination of different candidates they are entitled to it, legally and morally and should not be brow-beaten by the mob, however ‘respectable’ their candidate.
@eire366 … the current manner of the selection of the new European Commission does not breach EU treaties including the Lisbon Treaty. The treaties provide that the European Council (government heads) nominates the new president of the commission “taking into account the results of the elections to the European Parliament”. That nominee is then submitted to the Parliament which has the final say on her/his appointment. The European political parties have chosen to formalise this process by running common candidates (spitzenkandidaten) for the president of the Commssion.
Whether Cameron agrees with this or not is largely irrelevant so low is his standing and influence in Europe. Of course Cameron has the right to throw his toys out of the pram on this issue, much good that it will do him. Cameron wants the appointment to be made as before by the national leaders in private. The European political parties believe that the effective head of the EU’s government should be determined by a parliamentary process undertaken in public and fully transparent. I agree with that.
Nobody voted for Junker, no EU voter knew who he was, 99% voters had no idea what pan European party their EU candidates would be part of. You are so very clearly full of shit. The idea that Junker has any kind of mandate is ridiculous.
At least national leaders are elected.
You know who watched the EU debate among the leaders less 10th of 1 percent of the EU population.
I suppose one is rarely appreciated by their own.
Kenny has surprised most reasonable observers in his ability to get the job done and has certainly proved his credentials. However I can’t see him taking the job. Ireland needs him to finish the job here before SF year it all to pieces
You are either the biggest. Troll I’ve read or an extremely wealthy person because as far as I can see they are the only types that think kenny is ‘getting the job done’
Keep taking your meds!!are you for real…Kenny getting the job done!!!
We should thank David Cameron, on our knees if Kenny gets the job, just think an Ireland without him, can only be a positive step
Correct Gerry he is doing the job that Europe is telling him to do
If Kenny is elected merkel is elected
Oh good Lord! Clowns led by clowns!
One thing this article doesn’t say, and is important. Is that Junker was chosen as the EPP’s candidate for commission president here in Dublin. The Torys are not part of the EPP, having left to setup their own group in the European parliament because the viewed the EPP as too federalist, and they failed to put forward a candidate.
The Lisbon Treaty says that the European Council shall take into account the results of the European elections when choosing the next commission president, and the EPP got the most votes and the most seats.
So everyone except Cameron recognises that Junker should be the next commission president.
He is playing this for domestic consumption, which in reality is the eurosceptic wing of his party. But in doing so he is isolating Britain and picking a battle which he should have kept away from.
Silly boy.
Please god … And I’m an atheist
“who will not heed the backlash voters inflicted in last month’s European Parliament elections” that ‘backlash’ was a bunch of right wing loons who collectively came 3rd in the elections. 3rd, not 1st. The party that came 1st was the EPP and they picked Juncker. Cameron wants to overrule the democratic will of the people as expressed in the continent wide elections last month.
Cameron isn’t against backroom deals – he just wants to be in the room.
That would be like giving Father Dougal the job instead of Father Ted…
You are F**ked if you do and F**ked if you don’t..
Enda Kenny….a subservient EU dog.
I think that’s the point.
It would not surprise me if Kenny did take it from a strategic point of view, then he steps down as party leader and another FG muppet takes over to reinvent the coalition with labour,
Junker has been on the cards for a long time now. Camron could have raised this ages ago.
It is BS about reform of the EU, and more internal British politics and their usual dislike of Europe.
down with the union!!!!
Dear god if you are up there grant the Irish people this a let Europe take kenny
Ming for EU President! !
:-)
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