Leaders agree to review EU agenda at Brussels summit
BBC,28 May 2014 Last updated at 09:49 GMT
Herman Van Rompuy: "The European Council... must give clear guidance"
EU
leaders have agreed to re-evaluate the bloc's agenda after voters "sent
a strong message", European Council President Herman Van Rompuy has
said.
Mr Van Rompuy said leaders of the 28 member states had asked him to launch consultations on future policies. He was speaking after a meeting in Brussels to discuss big election gains by populist and far-right parties.
The results of the European Parliament election led to calls for an EU rethink by those leaders who suffered defeats.
But despite gains by anti-EU groups, pro-European parties still won most votes overall.
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The election result has sapped confidence. That was apparent when they met for Tuesday's informal dinner. They were men and women who had lost some of their certainty. ”
Tuesday's summit was the first opportunity for leaders of all member states to discuss the way forward after last week's polls.
The BBC's Chris Morris says reforms could include less
regulation and less focus on economic austerity policies, while measures
to boost growth and create jobs could address voter discontent. Mr Van Rompuy said the results of the European elections had shown "a mix of continuity and change" and that the Eurosceptic message from voters was "at the heart" of discussions between leaders.
He said the meeting in Brussels had been a "useful first discussion" and that EU leaders had agreed on putting the economy at the heart of the group's agenda.
"As the union emerges from the financial crisis it needs a positive agenda of growth," he said, repeating a common refrain of what is needed to reverse growing anti-EU sentiment.
EU's post-election agenda
- Measures to revive growth and create jobs - but Germany insists on budget discipline
- Integrate eurozone more, while keeping other EU members close too
- Establish full EU banking union, with centralised supervision
- Push towards common energy policy and reduce reliance on Russian oil and gas
- Reassess balance of powers between EU and national authorities
President Francois Hollande asked
Europe to "pay attention" to France after describing his Socialist
party's defeat to the far-right National Front as "painful."
The National Front - which Germany's finance minister
described as "fascist" - stormed to victory with a preliminary 25% of
the vote, pushing Mr Hollande's Socialists into third place. National Front President Marine Le Pen said she would use her electoral mandate to "defend France" and fight "crazy measures like votes for immigrants."
Speaking after EU leaders met in Brussels, Mr Hollande said the National Front victory was "traumatic for France and Europe."
"France cannot live isolated and frightened. Its destiny is in Europe," he added.
"[German Chancellor Angela] Merkel's tone was that of a woman ending a relationship over her mobile. What we saw in Brussels was no longer the party politician Merkel who wants to push through a decision on Christian Democrat Juncker... getting Europe's most powerful post at any cost. What we saw was Chancellor Merkel, one of the 28 members of the European Council, an assembly of heads of state and government that is powerful, too."
Jean Quatremer blog on French daily Liberation :
"[UK Prime Minister] David Cameron finds the EU 'too bossy'... but he firmly rejects the idea that the European Parliament should choose the president of the Commission... The most astonishing thing is that he has the support of Sweden, Denmark and the Netherlands - three countries which like to think of themselves as paragons of democracy. It just doesn't make any sense."
Claudi Perez on Spanish daily El Pais:
"The gains made by radicals in the 25 May elections and the fall of the two-party system has prompted anxiety in Europe's institutions, which are now engaged in what promises to be a long battle for the presidency of the European Commission."
David Cameron: "The EU cannot shrug off these results"
Mr Van Rompuy also told reporters that he would hold talks with the political groups to be formed in the European Parliament on who will be named to head the next Commission, the EU's executive arm.
On the latest projections, the centre-right European People's Party (EPP) will be the biggest political group and its candidate is former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker.
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| Former Luxembourg premier Jean-Claude Juncker is the EPP group's candidate for Commission president |
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| Angela Merkel's stance on Mr Juncker may torpedo his chances to become Commission head |
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| French President Francois Hollande said the EU's priority should be "growth, jobs and investment"
|
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Juergen Gevaert Belgian journalistThe Eurosceptic voices are being heard by the electorate - it's an indication that citizens are not very happy with the way Europe is being governed”
The German chancellor, whose
Christian Democrat party is part of the EPP, indicated Mr Juncker may
not end up leading the Commission, after some member states expressed
reservations about him.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron, who sees Mr Juncker as too much of an EU federalist, is among those opposed to his nomination.EU leaders have traditionally named the Commission head on their own, but under new rules they now have "to take account" of the European election results.
Our correspondent says the process for choosing the president of the Commission could produce fireworks amid rumblings over interpretations of the Lisbon Treaty.
But Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny said that while there would be no time limit on Mr Van Rompuy, he would be expected to report back within two or three weeks.
"It should not be dragged out too long," Mr Kenny said.
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