Plenkovic says EPP unanimous in supporting Weber for EC president

All European People's Party leaders are unanimous in their support to Manfred Webber for European Commission president, Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic said in Brussels on Tuesday.

The leaders of the EU28 gathered in Brussels, two days after European elections, to begin talks on the procedure and criteria for the election of the next EC president as well as the presidents of the European Council, the European Central Bank and the European Parliament, and the high commissioner for the common foreign and security policy.

Before an informal dinner, all leaders attended meetings of their political groups.

"It is the unanimous stand of all EPP leaders, after such results, to support our candidate Manfred Weber for president of the European Commission, and this is the position we are taking today," Plenkovic told reporters after a summit of party leaders, before the informal dinner.

"We analysed the election results at the EPP summit today. We are satisfied. We are again the strongest political party on the continent, the relative election winner," he added.

He said no decision would be made at today's informal summit as it was a chance to crystallize positions.

It is expected that at its next regular summit on June 20-21, the European Council will nominate the new EC president, who could be confirmed by the new European Parliament in mid-July. If necessary, another summit could be held to nominate the new EC president, said Plenkovic.

He said that in the distribution of new positions it was necessary to take geographical balance into account and that it would be good if a position went to a country in central and east Europe.

Asked how much truth there was in an article in the latest issue of the Croatian Nacional weekly, which says that German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants Plenkovic in a leading position in the EU, that Dragan Primorac would replace him as PM, and that this was the main reason for her visit to Zagreb ahead of the European elections, Plenkovic responded ironically.

"That certainly was the main reason. That's all we talked about. The whole article and everything it says is news to me."

Text: Hina

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