At the end of a day of deliberations among EU leaders in the pittoresque Romanian town of Sibiu, Donald Tusk was clear about one thing: he wants the process of choosing the bloc’s next set of chiefs to go quickly.
“We need effective institutions, so we need swift decisions” after this month’s EU elections, the European Council president said, adding that his intention was that key appointments would be decided in June.
epaselect epa05953470 The moon shines over the light installation entitled Europa leuchtet! (Europe glows), in the German opera company Komische Oper in Berlin, Germany, 09 May 2017. A total of 33 neon tubes form the word ‘Europa’ commemorating Europe Day and the 60 anniversary of the European Union. The installation can be seen from 09 May until end of October 2017. EPA/FELIPE TRUEBA
Thursday’s summit was meant to be about framing the EU’s strategic agenda for the next five years, but it was also the first of a series of crucial moments over the coming weeks that will decide who puts these policies into practice. An array of powerful institutional positions are up for grabs, but it is the prize of the European Commission presidency — the chance to lead the EU’s executive arm — that is highest on leaders’ minds.
Deciding who will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker in that job will be a strategic game played between Europe’s different political families, geographical regions and even between the institutions in Brussels themselves.
