ZCZC
BFF-06
G20-SUMMIT-EU
Tusk on top EU jobs: closer but ‘no white smoke’
OSAKA, Japan, June 28, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – President Donald Tusk said Friday
the EU was “closer” to finding a compromise over the bloc’s top jobs but an
immediate breakthrough should not be expected ahead of a crunch Brussels
summit.
EU leaders will meet on Sunday to thrash out a deal over the team that
will guide the bloc for the next five years after a summit on Friday
collapsed without an agreement.
Tusk said he would continue talks with top EU leaders including from
France and Germany on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Osaka and was still
negotiating behind the scenes with “12 or 13 phone calls” to other EU
players.
“What I feel is that we are closer to the solution but still too far to
say something more concrete today,” said Tusk.
“Don’t expect white smoke here in Osaka,” he added, in reference to the
selection of the pope and quipping: “For one thing, smoking is forbidden
everywhere here.”
“I don’t know how you will survive, Jean-Claude,” he added, referring to
president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, known as a heavy
smoker.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel admitted earlier this week the process was
“very complicated”.
She said could not say whether the “Spitzenkandidat” — or lead candidate
principle under which the top-performing party in European elections gets
first dibs for top jobs — would succeed.
The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) — the political movement
backed by Merkel — came out on top in last month’s vote, though with a
historically low share of the vote.
But the EPP’s lead candidate, Manfred Weber, is thought to lack the clout
and gravitas to become head of the European Commission and has run into
opposition from French President Emmanuel Macron, among others.
BSS/AFP/RY/08:50 hrs