Cameron to hold talks on top EU role

British prime minister David Cameron will hold talks with German chancellor Angela Merkel and other European counterparts over the coming days in an effort to prevent Jean-Claude Juncker from taking the European Commission presidency.

David Cameron is travelling to Sweden today for talks on the future of Europe, and Foreign Secretary William Hague insisted there were other “talented candidates” for the presidency.

Former prime minister of Luxembourg Mr Juncker is regarded in London as an arch-federalist and opponent of reform. Mr Hague indicated that failing to get the “right people” in the EU’s top jobs would make it harder to renegotiate the UK’s relationship with Brussels ahead of the in/out referendum promised by the Tories by the end of 2017.