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| Europe |
| In setback for Cameron, EU parties back Juncker |
| 2014-06-15 |
| [Iraq Sun] British Prime Minister David Cameron's hopes of stopping Jean-Claude Juncker from becoming the next European Commission president suffered a jolt when the centre-right and centre-left groupings in the European parliament announced backing for Juncker. Cameron has made a direct appeal to voters in Ireland, France and Germany to back a candidate who will change the way Brussels is run and called for "bold leadership" for the European Commission. But the main centre-left and centre-right groups in the European Parliament have joined forces to back Juncker. The European Parliament has stepped up pressure on EU leaders to accept Juncker. Socialists and the centre-Right EPP group, which includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel's party, said they would form a grand coalition to support the former Luxembourg prime minister. Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party, the main centre-right group, said: "There is growing support for Juncker at all levels". He said choosing any other candidate would trigger "a constitutional crisis". Weber said Britain was "only one country among 28 and there is no right of veto" on naming the next Commission president. According to Cameron, Juncker represents an EU elite favouring "ever closer union" and is out of touch with voters and also resistant to reform of the EU. |
| Posted by:Fred |