Liberals against Juncker: “Commission with few women and too many EPP members, we won’t vote it”

The European Commission planned by Jean-Claude Juncker “will not be up to the expectations,” or better, “it is simply not acceptable to us,” said Guy Verhofstadt, ALDE leader, which is supposed to be the third political force to guarantee the majority at the European Parliament for the future executive branch.

With five days left to the meeting of Heads of States or Government, planned for the forthcoming Saturday, Verhofstadt said in a statement that the first problem of the team which would be led by Juncker is that “it will only count four women among its members,” then that its political balance is “excessively in favor” of the conservative EPP, “with well over half of the anticipated commissioners coming from this political family.” Verhofstadt’s concern is that pro-liberal forces “threaten not to be represented.” “Such a skewed commission will not find a majority at the European Parliament,” said ALDE leader, “it will simply be rejected.”