German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who has been nominated as European Commission President, with EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker at the EU Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, July 4, 2019. — Reuters pic
BRUSSELS, July 5 — European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said the process to appoint his successor, Germany’s Ursula von der Leyen, was not transparent and marked an unwelcome break with the practice of choosing parties’ lead candidates.
“The process was not very transparent,” Juncker told a news conference in Helsinki today, replying to a question about how EU leaders this week selected the next president of the EU executive. The nominee requires European Parliament approval.
He added that his appointment five years ago was transparent as he was chosen by leaders after having campaigned in European elections.
“Unfortunately it did not become a tradition,” Juncker said. “I was the first and the last spitzenkandidat,” he added, using the German word for lead candidate in EU elections. — Reuters