David Cameron is to demand that fellow EU leaders explain their decision to back Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission president this week after they appeared to give up on finding an alternative.
Downing Street made clear last night that the prime minister, angry at attempts to push a decision through in the face of UK opposition, will force an unprecedented vote at an EU summit on Friday and ask heads of government to explain why they are not willing to consider other names.
Herman van Rompuy, president of the European council, who was charged with banging heads together to find an alternative to the former Luxembourg prime minister, will meet Cameron and Nick Clegg in London on Monday. But EU officials say the talks will be more about how to salvage some form of agreement about other EU positions Рincluding portfolios for UK and other commissioners Рand a form of wording about the EU's priorities under the new commission, than a chance to discuss rival candidates to succeed outgoing commission president Jos̩ Manuel Barroso.
Cameron's failure – which he hopes to turn into a heroic lone stand against his EU counterparts – to block Juncker comes as an Opinium/Observer poll finds far more people saying they would vote to leave the EU under current rules than to stay in.
Read more: Cameron faces defeat in bid to thwart Juncker European presidency | World news | The Observer
Downing Street made clear last night that the prime minister, angry at attempts to push a decision through in the face of UK opposition, will force an unprecedented vote at an EU summit on Friday and ask heads of government to explain why they are not willing to consider other names.
Herman van Rompuy, president of the European council, who was charged with banging heads together to find an alternative to the former Luxembourg prime minister, will meet Cameron and Nick Clegg in London on Monday. But EU officials say the talks will be more about how to salvage some form of agreement about other EU positions Рincluding portfolios for UK and other commissioners Рand a form of wording about the EU's priorities under the new commission, than a chance to discuss rival candidates to succeed outgoing commission president Jos̩ Manuel Barroso.
Cameron's failure – which he hopes to turn into a heroic lone stand against his EU counterparts – to block Juncker comes as an Opinium/Observer poll finds far more people saying they would vote to leave the EU under current rules than to stay in.
Read more: Cameron faces defeat in bid to thwart Juncker European presidency | World news | The Observer
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