Macron, Merkel at odds on who to tap for top EU posts

France and Germany appear to be on a collision course over who should hold one of the EU’s most coveted jobs.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron before getting down to business at the EU summit in Brussels. Pictures: AFP

France and Germany appear to be on a collision course over who should hold one of the EU’s most coveted jobs, after weekend elections across the 28-nation bloc redrew Europe’s poli­t­ical map.

Arriving in Brussels for an EU summit, French President Emmanuel Macron virtually ruled out the prospect of German politician Manfred Weber replacing Jean-Claude Juncker as the new president of the bloc’s executive arm, the European Commission.

Mr Juncker’s term at the commis­sion, which proposes EU laws and makes sure they’re en­forc­ed, is due to end on October 31 and leaders from across the continent are gathering in Brussels to debate who should succeed him.

Mr Macron said his preferred choice for the post would be someone who has “experience either in their country or in Europe that ­allows them to have credibility and savoir faire”.

“The key for me is for the people­ at the most sensitive ­positions to share our project and be the most charismatic, creative and competent possible,” he said as the summit ended in Brussels.

That appeared to be a swipe at Mr Weber, who has not served in government or a major institution like the commission. Mr Weber, 46, has led the conservative European­ People’s Party group — the biggest group in the EU assembl­y — since 2014.

In a double snub, Mr Macron emphasised the need to take ­account of the EU elections, in which his liberal Renaissance bloc gained 48 seats, and to seek “renewal­” rather than the business-as-usual approach.

“It is important for me to have gender balance,’’ he said.

Mr Macron said Denmark’s Margrethe Vestager, who is the commissioner responsible for competition matters, would be a suitable replacement, as would ­Michel Barnier, the Frenchman who has led the EU’s Brexit negotiations with the EU. Getting Mr Barnier to head the commission would mark a fillip for Mr Macron following the strong showing of the French far right in the weekend’s elections.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is embroiled in a bitter­ fight in Berlin over her own successor as chancellor, has backed Mr Weber.

“I, as a member of the EPP family­, will of course work to suppor­t Manfred Weber,” she said.

The EPP and centre-left Socialists were battered in the EU elect­ions as voters concerned about climate change, migration or ­security turned instead to the Greens, the pro-business Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europ­e group — of which Mr Macron’s party will now be a member, or far-right parties.

As a result, it is unclear what workable majority will emerge in the European parliament when MPs gather in July.

Most European leaders want to take back control of the appointment process, particularly after the poor results for the centrist blocs in the elections.

EU leaders were also expected to discuss other top jobs in the bloc, including who would replace ­Donald Tusk as European Council president. Mr Tusk, who chairs the meetings of EU leaders, is also due to stand down from his job at the end of October.

The leaders want to move quickly, hoping to name candid­ates to the top posts at their next summit on June 20 and 21.

“We want to find a solution as quickly as possible, because the European parliament will meet at the beginning of July and it would of course be desirable if there were already a proposal at that point,” Mrs Merkel said earlier in Berlin.

No clear favourite for Mr Juncker’s post emerged from the meeting among party group leaders at the parliament. Instead, they insiste­d only that the person be chosen from among the candid­ates put forward by the parliamentary blocs. This puts them at odds with Mr Macron, who is insisting EU leaders should decide on who will head the commission.

Favourites for the top jobs are likely to be traded off to maximise influence over the world’s biggest trading bloc. Nationality and gende­r are certain to influence the final choice.

As well as Mr Barnier, 68, who has had more than 25 years at the top of French politics and EU instit­utions, and Ms Vest­ager­, 51, another candidate is former Dutch foreign minister Frans Timmermans, 58. Mr Barnier has not declared himself a candidate but has toured European capitals, speaking about his vision for the EU.

AP, The Times