The new head of the EPP group, Weber: “Juncker is our candidate, Lagarde is just a rumour”

The EPP group is “united and unanimous in supporting Jean-Claude Juncker for the European Commission Presidency.” The German CSU representative, Manfred Weber, wanted to reassure about this after the EPP MEPs officially elected him as Joseph Daul’s successor as leader of the group. “We will support him in the weeks to come, and our target is having him elected in July. It will be a sign of stability for citizens and Europe,” said Weber.

Still, rumours have been making the rounds about a request made by Angela Merkel to the French President, François Hollande – to appoint as new European Commission President the current head of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde. “I do not care about rumours,” broke off Weber, “What matters is the vote expressed at the Congress in Dublin,” when the EPP elected Juncker as its candidate for the post of European Commission President: “We’ve promised citizens that they would have decided the future of the Union, and we must keep that promise as MEPs.”

“Whatever a Head of State or Government says,” added Daul, who is still the President of the Party, “the decision will be taken by the qualified majority at the Council, no matter what Cameron says – even though we all know he’s a good negotiator.” According to the French politician, Chancellor Merkel will not pull back her support for the former Luxembourg PM at the Council, “She said me her candidate is Juncker just few days ago, and I count on that. I’m far too used to rumours.”