Courtesy of Mish.
Politically Expedient Potato Toss
German Chancellor Angela Merkel would like to help British Prime Minister David Cameron in his quest to stop Jean-Claude Juncker from becoming European Commission president.
Neither she nor Cameron wants Juncker as EC president. But chameleons like Merkel can change their colors at a moments notice.
When public opinion in Germany unexpectedly sided with Juncker, Merkel did the politically expedient thing, tossing Cameron like a hot potato.
Cameron to Go Down in Flames
All that’s left is the final humiliating defeat with Cameron to Go Down Fighting Over Juncker’s EU Appointment.
David Cameron has vowed to go down fighting in his battle to stop Jean-Claude Juncker becoming European Commission president, challenging other EU leaders at a summit next week to vote him down in an unprecedented showdown.
The UK’s prime minister is increasingly isolated and faces almost certain defeat, but he is determined to force a vote of leaders at the European Council, a body that has always previously made decisions on top Brussels jobs by consensus.
British officials say that if Mr Cameron “caved in” now it would send a signal to other EU members that he will be weak in subsequent negotiations on a new deal for Britain ahead of his planned 2017 in-out referendum.
His hard line will make for a highly uncomfortable summit; British officials believe Angela Merkel, German chancellor, will be among those worried about establishing a principle that big countries could be outvoted on such a big issue.
Opposition to Mr Juncker has weakened to such an extent that some EU officials believe it is now unnecessary to discuss his candidacy as part of a package of top EU jobs, a practice frequently used in the past as a way of horse-trading support from reluctant member states.
Senior EU officials involved in negotiations said Mr Juncker’s appointment is now all but assured for Friday, day two of next week’s summit, which will begin with a dinner in Ypres and move on to Brussels….
