German Conservative boss warns coalition partners on Europe

BERLIN (Reuters) – The woman in pole position to succeed Angela Merkel as Chancellor has warned her junior coalition partners against blocking the appointment of a German to head the European Commission, saying that this would put their coalition under "maximum tension".

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of Merkel's Christian Democrat Party (CDU), also left open the possibility of deploying ground troops in Syria, a policy that would tend to further the links with the social democrats, who are suspicious traditionally German military engagements.

In an interview with ZDF television on Sunday, Kramp-Karrenbauer said the SPD would be ill advised to vote in the European Parliament against Ursula von der Leyen's appointment as head of the European Commission.

On Monday, European leaders appointed the German defense minister to head the bloc's executive after failing to agree on one of the "Spitzenkandidat" candidates presented by pan-European parties in European Parliament.

Under the "Spitzenkandidat" principle, the main candidate of the party with the most seats has the right to claim the presidency of the European Commission.

While Von der Leyen, a close ally of Merkel, should win the vote of confirmation in the European Parliament, opposition SPD, annoyed by the abandonment of the process "Spitzenkandidat", could nevertheless cost him the place.

"If Ursula von der Leyen did not get the necessary majority in the European Parliament, partly because of the actions of the SPD, it would be a heavy burden for the government and the coalition," Kramp-Karrenbauer said.

Unconfirmed, Von der Leyen risks plunging European politics into a deep crisis: it took three days of haggling for leaders to present a candidate who has a chance to win the support of both leaders and parliament.

But in Germany, the SPD, which plunges new post-war highs into the polls as a result of its decision, deeply unpopular with its supporters, to support Merkel's government, is split on the brink of staying in the grand coalition for two years.

Many party members say it would be better to let the government reinvent itself in the opposition, which would lead to a Conservative minority government, a new coalition, or new elections.

Kramp-Karrenbauer was also open to extending Germany's participation in the anti-Islamic State coalition, including sending ground troops to northern Syria, as requested by James Jeffrey, the US government's representative in Syria. , in an interview with the newspaper Welt am Sonntag.

Kramp-Karrenbauer refused to dismiss it, saying it was ready to discuss new commitments when Germany's current mandate in the coalition ends in October.

The German Air Force provides reconnaissance jets and Jordanian-based air refueling refuellers to the coalition against the Islamic State and has deployed personnel for a training mission to Iraq.