Report - Who is running for the Berlaymont?

BACKGROUND

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- June 2019

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The 2019 European elections were presented to the wider public as an unprecedented event, which would mark the history of Europe and determine the emergence of new political forces. For better or worse, these promises were not disregarded by the electoral turnout. 

The vote resulted in a fragmented assembly, which sees a heavily diminished number of seats for the “ruling” parties. The centre-left (Socialists&Democrats, S&D) and centre-right (European People's Party, EPP) parties have both lost a considerable number of seats. 

On the other hand, new political forces have emerged: the Liberals (former ALDE, currently "Renew Europe"- RE), strengthened by the support of Emmanuel Macron’s La République En Marche, are now a determining group in the composition of a new majority at the European Parliament. The Greens and Matteo Salvini’s “souvereigntist” alliance also gained a considerable number of seats: Matteo Salvini’s party (Lega) is the second largest national party in the European Parliament, after Angela Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). 

The new Parliament, as well as the differences between the Member States in the European Council, do not ease the process of selecting a Commission President with broad political consensus. 

This report suggests a number of candidates for the EU Executive top job, indicating their points of strength and the difficulties they might face to be appointed President of the European Commission. 

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by Rosario Parise