“What we’re looking for is a team which has legitimacy, energy, is competent and has the support of the Council and European Parliament,” France’s European Affairs State Minister Amelie de Montchalin said. Facing accusations of being out of touch with citizens, European lawmakers have sought to line up the best performers in May’s European Parliament elections for most of the top jobs. Under that plan, German center-right EU lawmaker Manfred Weber would take the European Commission presidency, as the European People’s Party won the most seats in that vote. Many governments want a balance of men and women and to avoid the top jobs going to members of western EU governments. As things look now, it won’t come to an institutional conflict,” Merkel told reporters after the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, where EU leaders held talks on the jobs.

Source: National Post June 30, 2019 10:30 UTC