EIM Political - May 2014

02 June 2014

Within weeks, the eurosceptics may be marginalised in the European Parliament, but the next round is "Commission President" and there will only be one player who is seeing all the cards: Herman Van Rompuy.

• Within weeks, the eurosceptics may be marginalised in the European Parliament.

• The next round is "Commission President" and there will only be one player who is seeing all the cards: Herman Van Rompuy. As the master-negotiator, he will play his cards close to his chest and the public may only learn the identity of the next Commission President very close to the 26/27 June Summit.

• A core problem for the EU may now be the conflicting demands of the losers: President Hollande and PM Cameron. The latter is suggesting that only "Treaty change" reforms will satisfy him but the former may be loath to test publicly his personal standing ahead of the next French Presidential election in 2017.

• By the autumn, it may be clear if the EP has succeeded in "capturing" key Commissioners and shifting the institutional power balance in the EU.

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© Graham Bishop