Spain’s People’s Party is the second-largest member of the EPP after Germany’s Christian Democrats, giving it a strong voice in the party’s personnel choices.
French President Emmanuel Macron, who backed von der Leyen for her first term, ignited speculation about an alternative candidate for the Commission’s top post after his camp signaled its support for Draghi. The former ECB president and Italian ex-prime minister has no party affiliation.
Asked last week whether France supports von der Leyen’s bid, Pascal Canfin, an MEP from Macron’s liberal Renaissance party with a direct line to the president, said: “France and everyone in the presidential ecosystem would like Draghi to play a role.”
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION POLL OF POLLS
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To become Commission president, a candidate must be nominated by the European Council and be approved by the Parliament. The nominee typically comes from the party that garners the most votes in the European election.
If the Council’s nominee fails to win an absolute majority in the Parliament, it must submit a new candidate within a month.
Given that the EPP is expected to win the European election and in light of its strong position in national governments, it would be unlikely to accept a candidate not from its ranks, even someone of Draghi’s stature.
