PM moves to block Social Democrat's run for European commission head

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/nov/04/david-cameron-social-democrat-commission

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David Cameron is preparing to launch a campaign to prevent the president of the European parliament, Martin Schulz, from becoming president of the European commission next year, government sources have confirmed.

Downing Street has started taking soundings on alternative candidates to the German Social Democrat, who has denounced the prime minister for playing a "dangerous game" on the EU, amid fears in No 10 that his appointment could complicate Cameron's plans to renegotiate the terms of Britain's EU membership by the end of 2017.

The Irish Independent quoted a cabinet source in Dublin on Monday as saying that Cameron would support Enda Kenny, the mild-mannered Irish prime minister, if he were to throw his hat into the ring for the commission post or the separate post of president of the European council. Kenny is leader of the Fine Gael party, a member of the centre right EPP grouping – the largest in the parliament – whose members include Germany's CDU, led by Angela Merkel.

The moves by Downing Street to block Schulz, the most senior SPD member of the European parliament who was formally nominated last month by European Socialists as their candidate for commission president next year, came as the prime minister said his plans to reform the EU were designed to secure the "consent" of the British people for continuing membership.

Speaking at the CBI annual conference, the prime minister reiterated his warning in his Bloomberg speech on the EU last January that the EU needs to be reformed because British support is "wafer thin". Cameron said: "It is my judgment that our consent for remaining inside the EU is wafer thin. We haven't made the argument enough about why Europe matters and, frankly, there are lots of things in the EU that badly need reform.It is too costly, it is not flexible enough, it does not help with our competitiveness enough, it needs to change.

"So the argument I have made is not some short term tactical ploy. It is a long term strategic choice for Britain. Let us reform this organisation, let's make changes to how it works and then let's put those changes to the British people in a referendum. What I've put forward has the overwhelming support of the British people, in terms of the right choice to take, and it also has strong business backing too."

Labour distanced itself on Monday from the decision of the European socialists to endorse Schulz. A spokesman said: "Labour has neither endorsed nor nominated a candidate for the next president of the European Commission."

Government sources stressed that the discussions on the next European Commission and European Council presidents are at an early stage. The EU's 28 leaders are expected to embark on informal consultations at their next summit in December on candidates for the three key posts that will become vacant after the elections to the European parliament next May.

They are: the president of the European commission, held by José Manuel Barroso; the president of the European council, held by Herman Van Rompuy; and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, held by Lady Ashton.

Formal negotiations between the 28 leaders and the new leaders of the European Parliament will start after the elections. In nominating the president of the commission, EU leaders will be obliged to take account of the results of the European parliamentary elections. MEPs could block a candidate. EU leaders choose the president of the European Council and the High Representative, although they make these appointments in consultation with the parliament.

The prime minister's spokesman stressed that no decisions have been made over which candidates Britain would support for the three posts after the Irish Independent reported that No 10 is prepared to support his Irish counterpart as successor to Barroso or Van Rompuy. The spokesman said: "The prime minister and Mr Kenny have a very strong working relationship. But when it comes to issues around decisions for future European portfolios that is a little way down the line. As and when there is something to set out publicly we will. I would warn people of the risk of running ahead of ourselves a touch."

Schulz said after Cameron's EU speech, in which the prime minister outlined plans to hold a referendum on Britain's EU membership: "This was an inward-looking speech that does not reflect European reality. We need a UK as a fully fledged member, not harbouring in the port of Dover."

Schulz shot to prominence across the EU ten years ago when Silvio Berlusconi, the then Italian prime minister, said he should take a film role as a Nazi concentration camp leader. In a question and answer session, in which Schulz challenged him about a conflict of interest between his role as prime minister and his media empire, Berlusconi said: "Mr Schulz, I know there is a man producing a film on the Nazi concentration camps. I shall put you forward for the role of kapo [guard chosen from among prisoners]. You'd be perfect."

The prime minister will show his support for an EU referendum when he joins Tory MPs in voting in favour of a private member's bill, piloted by the backbench MP James Wharton, at its report stage on Friday. Up to 20 Tory MPs are understood to be prepared to vote in favour of an amendment by Adam Afriyie to bring forward the referendum to 2014. But the Afriyie amendment is expected to fail.

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