Graham Bishop's Blog: Is today crunch time for Juncker?

12 June 2014

The Juncker candidacy for Commission President faces two challenges: (i) getting the support of a “QMV” of the Heads of Government in the European Council and (ii) subsequently gaining 376 votes from MEPs.

Today may be crunch day for discovering the chances of getting that number of Parliamentary votes. Council President van Rompuy meets the leaders of the EP groups today for consultations:

08:45 EPP (European People's Party) – Afterwards, EPP will hold a crucial press conference

10:00 S&D (Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats)

11:15 ALDE (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe)

14:30 ECR (European Conservatives and Reformists)

17:00 Greens-EFA (The Greens–European Free Alliance)

However, the Groups are not fully formed so this can only be a preliminary set of discussions as some of the Groups cannot promise votes yet. Moreover 49 per cent of the MEPs are newcomers (rather less than the feared 60 per cent turnover) so their willingness to support their Group line is not yet tested. The UK Labour Party has said its 20 MEPs will not support Juncker so the Italian PD’s of Renzi may be pivotal in Parliamentary support. Without those two national groups, the combined EPP and S&D will probably fall short of the 376 votes required. That leaves ALDE/Verhofstadt as the king-maker - again.

Graham Bishop - Consultant on EU Integration - Political, Financial, Economic, Budgetary

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