The heads of state and government gave up and adjourned on Tuesday. Still no suitable staff for the top offices is found. Eastern Europe and Italy to block. By Bernd Riegert, Brussels.
Exhausted Journalist in the EU-press center: “high-Tension” job?
The eyes were red, the bags large, the skin gone grey. After 16 hours of talks through the night most of the 28 heads of state and government no longer had a chief of the European Union in Brussels-so-fresh. A solution of personnel questions, you are not to come closer. The President of the Council, Donald Tusk, who came also in individual meetings with recalcitrant heads of government further postponed the summit on Tuesday at 11 a.m. CEST.
Exasperated by the intransigence of the two major camps that had formed, said Tusk in his press conference and left in the dark as to exactly how the Negotiation is. Some of the journalists had spent the night in the press room. In vain.
According to the assessment of German Chancellor Angela Merkel on the one hand, the Visegrad States, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and Italy, the Frans Timmermans as the new President of the EU Commission to openly reject it. You, the Dutch is set for a social Democrat to the left and too much on criticism of the rule-of-law shortcomings in Hungary or Poland to be fixed.
Tired, but without any Shakiness, Chancellor Merkel still needs some time
Ironically, the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who was suspended because of his EU-critical attitudes of the Christian democratic people’s party, appointed himself the Savior of the Christian Democrats. He insisted that the top post should go to the candidate of the largest group in the Parliament, namely the Christian Democrats.
In the process, Viktor Orban does not support the own top candidate of the Christian democratic EPP group, Manfred Weber (CSU), actually. The he had made before the European elections end of may more than significantly. Manfred Weber did not want to be on the support of Hungary to rely.
The crack passes through groups of States and parties
On the other hand, States could live with Franz Timmermans as EU Commission President are. He is considered to be highly qualified, even if he had just achieved the second best result in the European elections. Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, could help Timmermans. In their own party family, the Christian democratic EPP, but in spite of intense discussions, and resistance to it, to leave the field to the social Democrats.
Merkel said after the long session of the night, she “had a feeling the always advance” that there would be after the European elections a “tense job” for the European Council, i.e. the summit, and the European Parliament. Both institutions must agree to the personnel package, the majority of. You need to now, but three or four parties, and not, as previously, only two parties for a majority, is finding the Compromise difficult. “That is not defined” in the European treaties, said Merkel.
Hungary Premier Orban: Items not to leave the other
The French President, Emmanuel Macron complained that the EU does not give the international a bad picture, because she was in the position of the five released to occupy top jobs: President of the EU Commission, President of the Council, the foreign representative, the President of Parliament and President of the European Central Bank. At least two of the Posts should go to women.
“We can no longer be hostage to a party. We need to change the rules. We need a true Reform,” said the French President, who belongs to the liberal party family and the liberal Danish Margrethe loser as EU Commission President would be installed.
“Anything above the knee break”
Angela Merkel admitted that the people in Europe, the wrangling in Brussels could find bad. “If we break now here, a little knee, then we have to live maybe five years, this may be a bad decision,” said the Chancellor. “If not today, then will be in front of the story, whether it takes a day longer.” Theoretically, the European Council could also vote and the four Visegrad States and Italy, with a double majority of (21) and population (65 percent) override. This should be avoided, said Angela Merkel, to “100 million Europeans except Eight.”
Top candidates Weber (li.) and Timmermans during the election campaign in may: Everything seems to be open
The Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte stated that the concept of the “leading candidates”, which the Parliament asserts, is off the table. Until Tuesday with alternative proposals here would have to. Other heads of government, such as the Croatian Prime Andrej Plenkovic, orakelten, yet everything was open and no one had the right Overview of the many possible combinations of the Items.
Plenkovic is even mentioned as a candidate for a Post. The former Bulgarian EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva is not to be instructed according to the Bulgarian Prime Minister Boris Borisov more President of the European Council, but only on the outside. The two Eastern European politicians could vote as part of the package, the Eastern European EU member States mild.
Or maybe not? Because the Austrian Chancellor, Brigitte Bierlein, called the whole package is still consistent. There would be no equilibria in the regions, genders or political parties.
Time is of the essence
On Monday afternoon, is for heads of state and government the time for a NAP. In the evening, the consultations should be included in different circles and groups. During the night or in the Morning, the Council President, Tusk will then come to a conclusion, as the European Parliament wants to vote on Wednesday in the first meeting after the European elections, its President. And is part of the five-package.
“We are all looking forward to seeing you again,” said the German Chancellor tired of smiling before Merkel left the summit building. “So, I’m glad to see you.”