First EPP candidate, a step forward for the leading position in the EU

– by Andreas Rinke

Helsinki (Reuters) – Manfred Weber, chairman of the EPP Group, has not been one of the leading candidates of European conservatives in the European elections. Chancellor Angela Merkel immediately opened the next political battlefield.

The 46-year election was a good day for the CDU and the CSU, the leader of the CDU, still in office, said in Helsinki on Thursday. "Because we have long had no candidate for the presidency of the European Commission." She reminded her EU Council colleagues that in the Finnish capital, not only was a decision made on the conservative campaign at European level, but also a preliminary decision for the appointment of the most powerful post of the European Union. European Union post-European. in May 2019.

For months, the different levels of the EU have debated whether the principle of the main candidate 2014 2019 should remain binding. At that time, it was mainly the President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz (SPD), and the Luxembourg Prime Minister, Jean-Claude Juncker, who defended the principle as a symbol of the "democratization of Europe". The candidate of the parliament's most powerful parliamentary group should also become president of the Commission. It is true that many heads of state and Merkel complained that, on the one hand, the principle limited choice and, on the other hand, prevented national governments from taking action. But in 2014, this agreement worked because the EPP and the PES belonging to the Social Democratic Party family together constituted the majority in the EP – and the Social Democrats joined the agreement after the elections and voted for the ruling party's main candidate, Juncker.

MACRON DOES NOT WANT THE PARLIAMENT

But for several reasons, the principle is now being questioned, which could also affect Weber's political future. Because in Brussels, many people do not believe in his move to the highest office of the EU. On the one hand, this is due to French President Emmanuel Macron. As his "movement" does not belong to any of the established party families and that he does not want to subordinate himself to others, he has already rejected the principle of the highest candidate because of his lack of leadership. ; opportunities. This also applies to the Liberals, who will later flirt with Macron's "En Marche" to reinforce their own meaning. Many European leaders who have come to power since 2014 also fundamentally reject the idea that Parliament wants to impose them. These include the right-wing governments in Eastern Europe. And they certainly have some weight: the Parliament has elected the President of the Commission, but the Council must also vote by qualified majority.

Add to that the growing fragmentation of the European Parliament. After all, according to current polls, the 2019 EPP will again be the most powerful political group. But with the Social Democrats, they will no longer be the majority of deputies. It is likely that other party families, such as liberals or greens, will also decide on the president of the European Commission. Maybe one of the best candidates will become commissioner – but not necessarily the strongest group. From the point of view of EU diplomats, it is likely that a package of personnel will be put in place. For these are also the positions of President of the Council of the EU, Commissioner for Foreign Affairs of the European Union and, later, in 2019, to fill the post of President of the European Central Bank.

This is why, according to European diplomats in Helsinki, it was important that Merkel immediately support Weber's claims. Even if the German headquarters that could occupy Germany in 2019 is not yet clearly defined: the federal government told EU partners that it should, this times, be awarded to the largest country in the EU.

CSU ANNOUNCEMENT – ALSO SEEHOFER

Regardless of this, however, something else has become clear in Helsinki. Among the winners of Weber's clear choice is already the small CSU. It has only five members in the European Parliament, but it is now ready to receive disproportionate weight in Europe as in Berlin. Weber is the first candidate from a regional party in an EU state to become a serious candidate for the post of prime minister. As a result, the boss of the CSU, Horst Seehofer, radiated during his stay in Helsinki.

This could also be due to the fact that the appearance of his party, Vizes, could also influence his chances of fighting for Seehofer's succession to the party leadership. For the moderate Christsoziale, Weber is also considered a potential successor to Seehofer. And Weber could prevent power in the CSU in the future completely landed at the former counterpart of Seehofer, the current Bavarian Prime Minister, Markus Söder.