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No alternative to Juncker as EU boss, says Merkel party MEP No alternative to Juncker as EU boss, says Merkel party MEP
(about 2 hours later)
There is no alternative to former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker's candidacy for European Commission president, an MEP from Angela Merkel's party has said.There is no alternative to former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker's candidacy for European Commission president, an MEP from Angela Merkel's party has said.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron has argued against the appointment, fearing it will make reforms harder to achieve.
German Christian Democrat MEP Elmar Brok said: "We have no possibility other than to support Mr Juncker."German Christian Democrat MEP Elmar Brok said: "We have no possibility other than to support Mr Juncker."
But Tory MEP Daniel Hannan said it was absurd to say Mr Juncker had a mandate. But UK Prime Minister David Cameron said on Tuesday that he would oppose Mr Juncker "right to the end".
The pair debated the subject on BBC Radio 4's World at One programme. He has argued that the appointment would make reforms harder to achieve.
During a press conference in Downing Street, Mr Cameron was asked whether he had admitted defeat in his efforts to block the former Luxembourg's leader's candidacy in light of Mrs Merkel's continued support for him.
Mr Cameron said he would continue to defend the "very important principle" that it should be the leaders of EU member states, not the European Parliament, who proposed a candidate for the job.
"I will go on opposing this process of having someone put upon us by the European Parliament.... right up to the end," he said. "There is absolutely no question of changing my view about that."
He added: "My view is very clear and I think it is up to others to make their views clear. If you are up for reform, you need to stand up and fight for reform. If you are against transferring power from the European Council to the European Parliament you have to stand up and say so.
"I am very clear where I stand. Others will have to make their own decisions."
'Fighting bureaucracy''Fighting bureaucracy'
Mr Brok said that the German chancellor "would like to accommodate Mr Cameron, because we believe that Britain is an important part of the EU".Mr Brok said that the German chancellor "would like to accommodate Mr Cameron, because we believe that Britain is an important part of the EU".
He said the party was keen to find solutions to the problems with the EU institutions identified by the British government.He said the party was keen to find solutions to the problems with the EU institutions identified by the British government.
"We have some things in common - fighting bureaucracy, more competitiveness, less legislation," Mr Brok said."We have some things in common - fighting bureaucracy, more competitiveness, less legislation," Mr Brok said.
"On that basis we could come to a compromise if Mr Cameron would not just stick to this question of Mr Juncker where we have no possibility other than to support Mr Juncker.""On that basis we could come to a compromise if Mr Cameron would not just stick to this question of Mr Juncker where we have no possibility other than to support Mr Juncker."
The Conservative leader has said his party will renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU if it wins the 2015 general election before putting the new settlement to voters in a referendum in 2017.The Conservative leader has said his party will renegotiate the UK's relationship with the EU if it wins the 2015 general election before putting the new settlement to voters in a referendum in 2017.
But Mr Hannan argued that Mr Cameron's difficulty in opposing the appointment of Mr Juncker "illustrates how feeble the prospect of any meaningful overhaul of the EU is".
Since "only 8.2%" of voters had heard of Mr Juncker, "there is something more than a little absurd to pretend Jean Claude Juncker has some kind of direct mandate", he said.
Nonetheless, it did now seem that a majority of EU governments would back his candidacy, Mr Hannan said.
He dismissed criticism of his party leader, adding: "It's never a mistake to say what you think is true and it is better to go down honourably and lose but have stuck to your guns."
'Imagination'
The Conservative MEP concluded: "I hope at least that this will focus some people's minds in Britain on the reality of what it is that has taken shape on our doorstep.
"I wish we would stop fantasising about some alternative Europe, some decentralised Europe of nations that exists in our imagination, and face up to the question of whether we want to be part of the thing that actually exists."
Mr Cameron recently made a direct appeal to voters in Ireland, France and Germany to back a candidate who will change the way Brussels is run.Mr Cameron recently made a direct appeal to voters in Ireland, France and Germany to back a candidate who will change the way Brussels is run.
He has called for "bold leadership" for the European Commission.He has called for "bold leadership" for the European Commission.
But the main centre-left and centre-right groups in the European Parliament have joined forces to back Mr Juncker.But the main centre-left and centre-right groups in the European Parliament have joined forces to back Mr Juncker.
The EPP, the centre-right group of MEPs affiliated with Mr Juncker, lost many seats at last month's European elections but remains the largest group in the European parliament.The EPP, the centre-right group of MEPs affiliated with Mr Juncker, lost many seats at last month's European elections but remains the largest group in the European parliament.
A final decision on who will get the top job at the commission is not expected until EU leaders hold a summit on 26 and 27 June - at the earliest.A final decision on who will get the top job at the commission is not expected until EU leaders hold a summit on 26 and 27 June - at the earliest.
The decision will be made by a qualified majority vote, meaning that no single country can veto the choice.The decision will be made by a qualified majority vote, meaning that no single country can veto the choice.
BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said Mr Cameron would not have enough support to muster a blocking minority, adding that Ms Merkel was facing strong pressure to back Mr Juncker.BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said Mr Cameron would not have enough support to muster a blocking minority, adding that Ms Merkel was facing strong pressure to back Mr Juncker.