European Left candidate Violeta Tomic campaigning for national elections in Slovenia in 2014 Photo: MZaplotnik Barnier's achievement in keeping the EU-27 unified during the Brexit negotiations is seen as a key asset in a deeply-divided Europe. However, it remains to be seen how much backing he would get from the Elysee Palace. French president Emmanuel Macron has not backed the Spitzenkandidat system, as his party (La Republique en Marche/The Republic On The Move) has not yet entered the European parliament, making it difficult for him to throw his weight around in choosing the next commission chief. He is also from a different political family than Barnier. Macron also previously proposed a new method of electing MEPs through transnational lists - but that idea had died in the parliament in 2018. While the Spitzen system is a deeply institutional and 'EU bubble' discussion, it highlights the core power struggle between member states and transnational institutions that goes to the heart of the debate over European integration. It also raises questions over what exactly democratic control means. In that sense, it is very much an issue that concerns every citizen. How many will actually vote - or even pay attention to a process specifically designed to Juncker (r) with his possible successor, Weber Photo: European Parliament engage them - is another question. Weber's main opponent will be the Dutch commissioner, Frans Timmermans, who runs as the lead candidate for the Socialists & Democrats after Maros Sefcovic, Slovakia's current commissioner, withdrew his candidacy. The Greens have two top candidates, as is traditional for them, with Germany's Ska Keller and the Netherlands' Bas Eickhout. The rightwing anti-federalist European Conservatives and Reformists put forward the Czech Jan Zahradil, while the liberal ALDE group will put together a team of candidates.
THE CANDIDATES Manfred Weber, EPP (b.1972) National party: Christian Social Union (Germany) The Bavarian politician has been a member of the European Parliament since 2004. He has been leading the jittery European People's Party group in the parliament that has had to deal with its Hungarian member, Fidesz, and its leader, prime minister Viktor Orban - one of the vanguards of elected far-right leaders, centralising his grip on his country and undermining independent institutions. Weber has scolded Orban, but the EPP has never sanctioned Fidesz. Weber argues he is a bridge-builder, but the schism among his group members boiled to the surface recently over Hungary, with the EPP giving its posing a challenge to the rule of law or democracy, namely Hungary and Poland, it sometimes seemed he lacked political backing from EU commission president, Jean-Claude Juncker, to press ahead. Timmermans is credited with being a charismatic orator, who speaks Italian, German, Russian, French and English, as well as his native Dutch. Back home, he served as foreign affairs minister between 2012 and 2014, and state secretary for EU affairs between 2007 and 2010. He also served in the national parliament for a decade. Timmermans said he decided to run to defend the EU and its values as it came under attack in recent years from both within and outside. The Socialists and Democrats, currently the second largest group in the parliament, are also expected to lose dozens of seats, while Timmermans is unlikely to European Left presented one of its candidates, Nico Cue, (c) in January Photo: European Left backing to a parliament report critical of Budapest. One of Weber's main themes for the campaign is 'Christian Europe' and he rejects Turkey's membership to the EU. He calls for better security, and backs an additional 10,000 staff for the EU's border guard agency. Weber is also promising to be a bulwark against populism – but here his track record is disappointing. He also wants Europe to be in the forefront of finding cures for diseases like cancer and Alzheimer's. Frans Timmermans, S&D (b.1961) National Party: Labour Party (Netherlands) Timmermans is currently second-in-command at the European Commission. While he was given the unenviable task of reigning in member states make the socialists more attractive in central and eastern Europe, where he is viewed with suspicion and accused of interfering in domestic affairs. Jan Zahradil, ECR (b.1963) National Party: Civic Democratic Party (Czech Republic) Zahradil is the only central and eastern European candidate in the running to lead the commission. He used to be a deputy in the Prague parliament. He has been an MEP since his country joined the EU in 2004. Zahradil served as advisor to former president Vaclav Klaus who was head of state for the Czech Republic for ten years. Zahradil has been described as both a libertarian 13 — EUROPEAN PARLIAMANT ELECTIONS 2019
