|
Thu, 17 Apr, 2014 12:00:04 AM FTimes-STT Report, April 17  Jean-Claude Juncker (L), Luxembourg's former prime minister and European People's Party EPP candidate for the presidency of the European Commission and Jyrki Katainen (R) Finnish Prime Minister and chairman of the Kokoomus, Finland unit of the EPP attended a campaigning for the party EU parliamentary polls in Helsinki on Wednesday. Photo Lehtikuva. Prime Minister Jyrki katainen is likely to get a top EU job if Jean-Claude Juncker, EPP candidate for European Commission presidency, is elected to the most senior post.
Juncker, who leads a center-right group of 70 political parties in 40 countries, met Katainen on Wednesday in Helsinki as part of his campaign.
At a press conference, Juncker said he would want Katainen to be a European Union Commissioner and would hand him a significant portfolio. The EPP candidate however did not specify Katainen’s role.
According to Juncker, an EU commissioner should be a high profile politician.
“Finland has an excellent Prime Minister who is valued among my colleagues,” said Juncker, who described Katainen as a friend and not only in the political sense.
The next president of EU commission will be the candidate of the political grouping that wins most votes in the forthcoming EU elections.
Juncker also said he was confident about his possibilities to rise to the leadership.
The complex selection of the commission president may lead in the end to the choosing of someone else other than Juncker.
Katainen pointed out that although EPP had been ahead in the opinion polls, the leadership positions had been very scant. The premier said the race was a tight one between EPP and the Socialists.
More News
|
|
Finland Times
| Friday, 26 April, 2024 |
|
Copyright © 2024 All rights reserved
|
||||
