European Union’s top antitrust regulator joins list of candidates to replace Juncker

Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s top antitrust regulator joined the list of candidates for the presidency of the next European Commission, a post up for grab after EU parliamentary elections in May 23-26.

A former finance minister of Denmark, Vestager has gained a reputation as a tough enforcer of the bloc’s competition rules, slapping big fines on large corporations, like Google and Apple.

EU Competition Commissioner, Vestager was put forward in a team of lead candidates by the European liberal party, alongside six other prominent politicians from the centrist group, which include Belgium’s former prime minister Guy Verhofstadt and the EU transport commissioner Violeta Bulc.

Under an election method backed by the EU parliament and some EU states, the president of the EU executive should be the leading candidate of the party that wins the European elections.

Polls show the liberals will be the third force in the next European Parliament.

Via Reuters