About: Commission president

‘Institutional crisis’ if EU doesn’t pick Spitzenkandidat, EPP warns

EU member states risk plunging the blog into an "institutional crisis," should they decide to abandon the Spitzenkandidat process of selecting the next President of the European Commission, a senior EPP source has told EURACTIV.

Vestager’s grand plan for regulating the digital economy

The EU should be "ready to act" should social values such as "privacy, freedom and fairness" be under threat from expanding digital monopolies, the bloc's Competition Chief Margrethe Vestager said on Monday (3 April).

Cameron’s battle against Juncker is futile and misguided

In line with what we've heard from UK prime minister David Cameron, the Commission's programme for the next five years is as important as who takes on the presidency. Contrary to British claims, though, none of the Spitzenkandidaten is aiming for ‘business as usual’, writes Andrew Duff.

Cameron and Merkel are the EU Council’s biggest rivals

Germany and the United Kingdom are the two countries who most often went head to head in EU Council votes, new research released on Wednesday (11 June) shows.

French Socialists want to intensify left-right divide in EU Parliament

The French Socialist delegation to the EU calls for talks with the European left. It wants to bring the left back onto the main stage by ensuring a deep political divide between it and the right. EURACTIV France reports.

Haggling begins over EU president nomination

In the meeting among heads of state and government today, Angela Merkel will play a decisive role. But which position is the Chancellor taking to Brussels? And what will become of Martin Schulz? EURACTIV Germany reports.

INFOGRAPHIC: EU Presidential Debates 2014

With less than four weeks to go before polls open on 22-25 May, the parties' main candidates for the EU Commission presidency face each other in a series of 'Presidential Debates', broadcasted by national and European media.

Officials seek greater EU election turnout with televised ‘presidential debate’

EXCLUSIVE / EU political parties are planning a televised face-off between the two frontrunners for the European Commission presidency just two days before the 2014 EU parliamentary elections open, EURACTIV has learned.

Centre-right candidates asked to step forward

The European People's Party (EPP), Europe's largest political family, opened candidacies on Thursday (13 February) for top figures to lead its EU election campaign, which starts in three weeks’ time at a congress in Dublin.

Europeans want a say on the next Commission president: Poll

European citizens are more inclined to vote if they are given the chance to choose who will be the next president of the European Commission, according to a survey released today (6 September).

Third term for Commission president is one too many

The five-year mandate of the present European Commission President expires 31 October 2014. Contrary to the restrictive provisions concerning the president of the European Council and the members of the Court of Justice, the EU Treaty is silent over the possibility of reinstating the Commission's presidents and members, writes Eberhard Rhein.

Stanishev: Making the Commission president more democratic

The Party of European Socialists will have a transparent and democratic process when electing its European Commission presidential candidate, says the group's leader, Sergei Stanishev.

Blair calls for directly elected European president, referendum

A directly elected president could govern a multi-speed Europe and tackle the democratic deficit that would arise from closer economic and political integration, Tony Blair said this week, calling for a "grand bargain" on Europe that should be put to "direct popular consent".

Race for next Commission president begins

Jostling to replace José Manuel Barroso as Commission president in 2014 has begun as spokesmen for Commission Vice President Viviane Reding and Parliament President Martin Schulz refused to scotch reports of their candidacies.