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As reported by the WSJ (subscription), Ms Merkel faced criticism from political friends and foes at home for her initially lukewarm endorsement of Mr Juncker last week following the European elections. The reaction has pushed her into a delicate balancing act between appeasing her domestic allies, who mostly back Mr Juncker, and her conservative counterparts in Europe, some of whom have misgivings about the former Luxembourg premier.
"I'm working in all the talks that I have (with the goal of) Jean-Claude Juncker getting the necessary majority to be able to become the next commission president, and furthermore I'm working for such a decision, even if it has to be made controversially, to get the necessary qualified majority with European spirit", the Chancellor said.
Her remarks follow a report in Germany's Der Spiegel magazine Sunday that UK Prime Minister David Cameron threatened to bring forward a referendum on whether Britain should quit the European Union if Mr Juncker becomes president of the European Commission. However a person familiar with the matter said Sunday that the vote remains scheduled for 2017.
The FT (subscription) reports that David Cameron is also facing a confrontation with Angela Merkel, German chancellor, as rebel MEPs from his Conservative party prepare to defy his orders and vote for a pact with the anti-euro Alternative für Deutschland party. The UK prime minister told Tory MEPs last week that they should not join forces with the AfD in a eurosceptic bloc in the European parliament, knowing such a move would be seen as hostile by Ms Merkel.
If the group decides this week to embrace the AfD, seen by Ms Merkel as a rival to her own CDU/CSU party alliance, it would strain relations between Berlin and London at a critical time. Mr Cameron is relying on Ms Merkel to help him secure reforms to the EU – including measures to reduce so-called "benefit tourism" by migrant workers and protection of British interests in the single market – ahead of his proposed in-out referendum in 2017.
Meanwhoile the S&D Group has appointed Martin Schulz as spokesperson for negotiations about future EU Commission president.
Commenting on the meeting S&D Group president, Hannes Swoboda, said: "Upon my proposal and approval by the 27 Heads of Delegations, our group has appointed Martin Schulz as spokesperson for negotiations about the future EU Commission president. While we insist that Jean Claude Juncker should be given the mandate to try to find a majority in the EU Parliament, it is clear that discussions about the future Commission president must first and foremost focus on content and not persons or posts."
"Our group will only support a Commission president ready to take up the fight against austerity. The fight against unemployment, especially youth unemployment, must be a priority as well as action against the rise in poverty and social exclusion. Furthermore, the EU must lead in the fight against tax evasion and promote investment.
Hannes Swoboda concluded by giving an outlook on the future leadership of the S&D Group: "The S&D Group will vote on its future group president on 18 June 2014. Yesterday, Martin Schulz officially declared he would to apply for this post and will thus present himself for election on 18 June."
Furthermore, in the bid for top European jobs, Poland has nominated Radoslaw Sikorski to replace Barness Ashton as High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy. As reported by EurActiv, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Mr Sikorski would be a "natural candidate". "I will say it openly: Poland has gained such significant influence in foreign policy, that the so-called high representative would be within the scope of our interests", he said.
Polish foreign minister since 2007, he has been an outspoken critic of Russian foreign policy. He has helped drive a hardline stance on the Ukraine crisis and called for a more robust European response to Russian military intervention in Georgia and Ukraine and was a leading figure in the international diplomatic response to the Ukraine crisis earlier this year.