Cameron bid to block Juncker nomination fails

For the first time ever, EU leaders have held a vote when nominating the next president of the European Commission, forced by Britain’s David Cameron to break a long tradition of consensus, supported by Hungary’s premier Viktor Orban.

While Downing Street and the British media had threatened that Cameron would create mayhem if his objections to Jean-Claude Juncker were ignored, there were “no raised voices” according to Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

The vote was two against Juncker and 26 in favour.

But when they meet again in three and a half weeks time, Cameron or any of the other leaders will not be able to force a vote, but will have to debate and compromise on their choice.

Instead, the president of the European Council, who prepares and chairs the leaders meetings, and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs, the EU’s foreign minister, will have to be elected by unanimity.

While EU law says the elections are by qualified majority, the current Council president, Herman Van Rompuy, proposed that it be done by consensus, telling the meeting, according to well-placed sources, that this would be in the best interests of the EU institutions.

As a result, Britain or any other country that refuses to reach a compromise between all 28 member states will have to veto whatever candidates are put forward.

Now the search will begin in earnest for people to fill these two important positions. There are a number of names floating around, including that of Kenny as a compromise candidate for the Council role.

Also in the frame is Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt who, as a woman and a Socialist, would tick two of the conditions that need to be filled in allocating the jobs.

Cameron’s objections were both to the method used to select Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister, and to him personally. His selection contrasted markedly with that of his predecessor 10 years ago when the leaders emerged after long hours to surprise waiting journalists with the name of José Manuel Barroso.

This time, each of the main political parties nominated their candidate for the Commission job in advance of the European Parliament elections, saying that the party with the most seats would be the first to try to find backing from the member states. Cameron and many others contend that this usurped the Council’s right to nominate.

The British media, which described the 60-year-old former lawyer as “the most dangerous man in Europe” also focused on an alleged drink problem.

Diplomats defending the man who chaired the eurozone finance ministers throughout the euro crisis responded that Churchill was not known for his sobriety while George W Bush’s abstinence did not make him a better leader.

Following the meeting, Cameron told journalists,

“We must accept the result and Britain will now work with the Commission President, as we always do, to secure our national interest. “But let me absolutely clear. This is a bad day for Europe It risks undermining the position of national governments.

“And it hands power to the European Parliament.”

Orban, it is understood, voted against Junker because he opposed his party, Fidez, from joining the European People’s Party. Cameron pulled his MEPs out of the EPP, the party to which Fine Gael belongs.