Obama should stay off 2014 campaign..[ 4390 ]

Fox News poll: Voters say Obama should stay off 2014 campaign trail

By Dana Blanton

Published July 29, 2014

FoxNews.com

July 28, 2014: President Obama speaks to participants of the Presidential Summit for the Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders in Washington.AP

We’re about four months out from the 2014 midterm elections. Yet, if they were held today -- which is how the question is posed to registered voters in the Fox News national poll -- 43 percent would support the Democratic candidate in their House district and 41 percent the Republican. 
A month ago the vote was tied at 42 percent apiece. In early June, Republicans had a four-point edge, while Democrats were up by three points in May.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE POLL RESULTS

You get the picture: there’s lots of uncertainty and bouncing around. It’s just too soon to tell if there’s going to be a wave election, even though some political junkies can’t help from speculating about it. 
One thing that has been consistent for the last several months is the greater level interest in the upcoming elections among Republicans -- and that holds true again in the new poll. By a 14-point margin, more Republicans (70 percent) than Democrats (56 percent) are extremely or very interested in the election. Last month Republicans were more interested by 12 points. 
Among just those interested voters, this month’s generic ballot results show the Republican candidate with a seven-point edge over the Democrat (47-40 percent). A month ago it was an 11-point advantage for the GOP among interested voters (June 21-23).
At this point in the cycle four years ago, the Republican candidate had an 11-point advantage over the Democratic candidate on the generic ballot among all registered voters and President Obama’s job rating stood at 43 approve vs. 50 disapprove (July 27-28, 2010).
The Republican candidate was up by seven points among registered voters on the final Fox News poll before the 2010 midterms (46-39 percent). The Republicans went on to gain 63 seats in the U.S. House. At that time Obama’s job rating was 41 percent approve and 50 percent disapprove (Oct. 26-28, 2010). 
“The Republicans have the upper hand at this point, although it’s a little weaker than in 2010,” says Republican pollster Daron Shaw, who jointly conducts the poll with Democratic pollster Chris Anderson. “Their main problem is that there are far fewer vulnerable Democratic seats to pick off this time around.” 
The president’s current job rating is 42 approve - 52 disapprove. 
The new poll re-asked a question from 2010 to test the president’s influence: if you were running for office as a Democratic candidate this year, would you want President Obama to campaign for you? While 41 percent of voters say yes, over half -- 57 percent -- say no, they wouldn’t want Obama on the campaign trail with them. 
In 2010 the results were much more balanced: 48 percent wanted the president to campaign for them, while 50 percent wanted him to stay home. 
Among Democrats, four years ago fully 82 percent wanted Obama to campaign on their behalf. That’s down to 69 percent in the new poll, a drop of 13 points. 
Among independents, 38 percent wanted Obama’s help in 2010 and 32 percent would take it today.
Meanwhile, almost everyone remains unhappy with current lawmakers: just 13 percent of voters approve of the job Congress is doing, while 79 percent disapprove. 
Hating on Congress is something large numbers of Democrats (74 percent disapprove), independents (82 percent) and Republicans (83 percent) are in agreement on. 
Approval of Congress has been below 20 percent for the last three years. 
The Fox News poll is based on landline and cell phone interviews with 1,057 randomly chosen registered voters nationwide and was conducted under the joint direction of Anderson Robbins Research (D) and Shaw & Company Research (R) from July 20-22, 2014. The full poll has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus three percentage points.

France to fight Islamist militants..[ 4291 ]

France sets up anti-Islamist force in Africa's Sahel 

BBC ||  14 July 2014 Last updated at 14:23 GMT

The French force based in Mali has officially wound up its work and will be replaced by the new operation

France is to set up a new military operation in the Sahel region of northern Africa in an effort to stop the emergence of jihadist groups.

.

About 3,000 French soldiers will be deployed, along with troops from Mali, Mauritania, Burkina Faso and Chad.
On Monday France ended its military deployment in Mali, set up 18 months ago after an Islamist insurgency there.
French forces helped the Malian government recapture the north from al-Qaeda-linked militants last year.
.
Counter-terrorism The new long-term force, named Operation Barkhane, will be based in the Chadian capital Ndjamena, but will have a mandate to operate across borders.
It will target Islamist extremists in Mali, Chad and Niger.
The French troops will be backed by six fighter jets, 20 helicopters and three drones.
.
The main objective of Operation Barkhane is counter-terrorism, Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian has said.
The new deployment will take place in the coming days.
The Sahel includes some of the world's poorest countries but has rich natural resources in the form of minerals and gas.
.
France sent troops to Mali in January 2013 after Islamist militants threatened to overrun the capital, Bamako.
But Mr Le Drian said Islamist groups posed a threat to the entire region.

Iraqi Kurds have taken over two oil fields ..[ 4261 ]

Iraq conflict: Kurds seize two oil fields in north 

BBC ||  11 July 2014 Last updated at 12:21 GMT

Kurdish fighters moved into the oil-rich city of Kirkuk last month

Iraqi Kurds have taken over two oil fields amid a growing dispute with the government in Baghdad, Iraqi and Kurdish sources say.

Kurdish peshmerga forces seized control of production facilities at the Bai Hassan and Kirkuk oil fields in the north of the country on Friday.
Kurdish MPs have also withdrawn from Iraq's central government.
They did so after Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki accused the Kurds of harbouring extremists.
Kurdish forces have moved into areas of north-western Iraq abandoned by the Iraqi army during the advance of Islamist insurgents led by the Isis (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) group over the past month.
The Kurds have since declared plans to hold a referendum on independence in the areas seized, escalating tensions with Iraq's central authorities.
Maliki 'hysterical' In a statement on Friday, the Iraqi oil ministry condemned the seizure of oil refineries, adding that they expected Kurdish fighters to "support security forces in confronting terrorist groups rather than using the conditions to raid and occupy oil fields".
Reuters news agency said a senior source within the Kurdistan Regional Government had confirmed the takeover.
The unnamed source said they had been "forced to act to protect Iraq's infrastructure after learning of attempts by Iraq oil ministry officials to sabotage it".

The advance of Isis militants has led to some fuel shortages in Iraq

  The two oil fields are said to have a combined daily output capacity of some 400,000 barrels per day, AFP quotes a ministry spokesman as saying.

The Kurdish minority in Iraq managed to establish an autonomous region in the north in 2005 after decades of political and military efforts to seek self-rule.
Kurdish officials, including Kurdistan Region leader Massoud Barzani, say they view independence of areas under Kurdish control as their right.
Tensions came to a head when Prime Minister Maliki said on Wednesday that the Kurdish provincial capital Irbil was a haven for Isis fighters.
Soon after, a spokesman for Massoud Barzani said Mr Maliki "had become hysterical" and urged him to step down.
==VIDEO=======.

Leader of the Kurdish region of Iraq Massoud Barzani: "The goal of Kurdistan is independence"

Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshiyar Zebari, who is himself a Kurdish politician, told Reuters news agency on Friday that the Kurdish political bloc had suspended all day-to-day government business after Mr Maliki's remarks.
He said the country risked division if an inclusive government was not formed soon, adding: "The country is now divided literally into three states - Kurdish, a black state [Isis] and Baghdad."
This row with the Kurds is the last thing Iraq needs because it is already facing a stunningly successful Islamist insurgency, says the BBC's Mark Doyle in Baghdad.
It is a three-way dispute between the Kurds, the Sunnis and the Shia and it could lead to a three-way split, he continues.
Separately on Friday, the Iraqi government recalled Iraqi Kurd diplomats based at its UK embassy who were accused of taking part in a demonstration calling for the full secession of Iraqi Kurdistan.
But the diplomats' case symbolises a much more serious dispute, with Iraq's ethnic and religious unity and the very borders of the modern state under threat, our correspondent adds.

Afghanistan:NATO troops to remain ?..[ 4239 ]

NATO chief says Afghan president must be decided by September for NATO troops to remain

By Wes Barrett

Published July 08, 2014//FoxNews.com

Afghanistan leaders must settle the nation's disputed presidential election in the next two months if they want NATO troops to stick around past the end of the year, NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen told Fox News.
.
Rasmussen stressed that the race needs to be decided in time for his organization's September summit in Wales -- where a key security agreement must be signed -- and said he would like the new Afghan president to participate.  
.
"We do hope that the electoral process in Afghanistan can be concluded in due time before the summit so we can meet a new president at the summit and make decisions on our future engagement in Afghanistan including a training mission to train, advise, assist the Afghan security forces," Rasmussen told Fox News on Tuesday. 
.
But he said "time is now of the essence." 
In order for U.S. and NATO troops to remain in the country past the end of the year, the new Afghan president must sign a bilateral security agreement that gives forces authority to remain there as well as legal protections. The two candidates, Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani, are mired in a runoff with each claiming victory despite the other refusing to bow out.
.
Both Abdullah and Ghani have said they would sign the security agreement that hangs in limbo with the election.
"We will be faced with major problems if we do not have a new president inaugurated by the time of our summit," Rasmussen said. "In that case we will probably not have signed the necessary security agreements and without security agreements, there will be no deployment of a training mission after 2014." 
.
Rasmussen was optimistic about the ability of Afghan forces that NATO troops have already trained. He doesn't expect a takeover by extremists as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is attempting in Iraq. 
.
The U.S. was unable to reach a security agreement with the Iraqi government and since troops pulled out in 2011, extremists -- many of whom have spilled over from the civil war in neighboring Syria -- have taken over parts of the country.
"I don't think we can compare Iraq and Afghanistan," said Rasmussen.
.
 "There are many differences including the fact that we have built a strong Afghan security force of about 350,000 Afghan soldiers and police and they have demonstrated a strong capability to handle security situations during recent months. So we are confident that they will be able to take full responsibility for security by the end of this year."
.
The other pressing challenge facing NATO is Russia's takeover of Crimea and its support of extremists operating inside Ukraine. Rasmussen said that Russia isn't taking the steps it needs to take and that deeper sanctions remain a possibility.     
"I do believe that if Russia were to intervene further in Ukraine or if Russia continues to destabilize the situation in eastern Ukraine, the international community will need to respond with broader and deeper economic sanctions and they would really hurt the Russian economy."
But Rasmussen said Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine underscore his greater goal: To dominate the region. For the pressure on Russia to subside, Rasmussen said NATO is sending a clear message that Putin has one course of action.
.
"Deescalate the situation, take immediate steps to withdraw troops from the Ukrainian border, seal the border, stop the flow of weapons and equipment, stop support for the separatists and engage in a constructive political process," he said.

Η Τουρκία άρχισε να βλέπει την διάλυσή της...[ 4227 ]

Η Τουρκία πρώτα θα διαλυθεί και μετά θα μεγαλώσει;
Του Σεντάτ Λατσινέρ
Μετάφραση Σάββας Καλεντερίδης

Οι πολιτικοί χάρτες αλλάζουν συχνά στην περιοχή μας. Πρώτα διαλύθηκε ο γείτονάς μας Σοβιετική Ένωση, μετά η Γιουγκοσλαβία, μετά το Αζερμπαϊτζάν. Το Κοσσυφοπέδιο αποσχίστηκε από τη Σερβία, που έφυγε από τη Γιουγκοσλαβία. Η Γεωργία, προτού καταφέρει να συνέλθει από το σοκ της απόσχισης της Αμπχαζίας, έζησε την τραγωδία της απόσχισης της Οσετίας, με την υποστήριξη της Ρωσίας. Φέτος η Ρωσία άρπαξε την Κριμαία από την Ουκρανία. Ο εμφύλιος και η απειλή απόσχισης των ανατολικών επαρχιών της Ουκρανίας συνεχίζεται.

Η Μέση Ανατολή είναι σε χειρότερη κατάσταση από τα Βαλκάνια και τον Εύξεινο Πόντο. Η Συρία και το Ιράκ έχουν διαμελιστεί στην πράξη. Οι δυνάμεις του Άσαντ ελέγχουν ένα μικρό μέρος της επικράτειας της Συρίας. Οι Κούρδοι, η Αλ Νούσρα και το ΙΚΙΛ ελέγχουν ο καθένας τους τη δική του επικράτεια. Λέγεται ότι από τη διάλυση της Συρίας θα προκύψουν τουλάχιστον τέσσερα κράτη.

Στο Ιράκ η κυβέρνηση της Βαγδάτης δεν είναι πλέον κυβέρνηση ολόκληρης της χώρας, αλλά μόνο των σιιτών. Από την άλλη πλευρά, το ΙΚΙΛ οικοδομεί ένα κράτος για όλους τους σουνίτες. Το τρίτο κομμάτι του Ιράκ το ελέγχουν οι Κούρδοι. Το Ισραήλ έχει ήδη δηλώσει ότι υποστηρίζει την ίδρυση ενός κουρδικού κράτους. Το Ιράν και η Τουρκία στέλνουν μηνύματα στον Μπαρζανί ότι δεν θα εναντιωθούν στην ανεξαρτητοποίηση του Κουρδιστάν. Με άλλα λόγια, είναι ζήτημα χρόνου η ίδρυση τριών κρατών στο Ιράκ.

Φαίνεται ότι η επιδημία της διάλυσης κρατών στη Μέση Ανατολή θα συνεχιστεί για ένα διάστημα. Γι αυτό, όσοι γράφουν κείμενα για την περιοχή κάνουν διάφορες εκτιμήσεις για το ποιες χώρες και πως θα διαλυθούν.

Ο Ρόμπιν Ράιτ σε άρθρο του στους New York Times, τον περασμένο Σεπτέμβριο, έγραψε ότι πέντε χώρε της περιοχής θα διαλυθούν σε 15 ανεξάρτητα κράτη.

Μετά το Ιράκ και τη Συρία, υποψήφιες για διάλυση χώρες είναι η Λιβύη, το Πακιστάν και η Υεμένη. Όμως, πιθανές χώρες για διάλυση είναι και η Ιορδανία, Σαουδική Αραβία και Αίγυπτος.
Όταν κανείς αναφέρεται στην Τουρκία, το πρώτο πράγμα που έρχεται στο νου του είναι η ανεξαρτησία των Κούρδων. Η απόσχιση των Κούρδων από την Τουρκία, που διαθέτει τον μεγαλύτερο πληθυσμό Κούρδων στον κόσμο και η δημιουργία του Κουρδιστάν δεν αποτελεί μία περίεργη εξέλιξη για τον έξω κόσμο. Το να μην επηρεαστούν οι Κούρδοι της Τουρκίας από το κύμα εθνικισμού που έχει ξεσπάσει μεταξύ των Κούρδων, που ήδη διοικούν τον εαυτό τους στο Ιράκ και τη Συρία, αποτελεί ένα μακρινό ενδεχόμενο.

Πέραν των εκτιμήσεων για τους εκτός Τουρκίας Κούρδους, στο εσωτερικό μας το ΡΚΚ αποτινάζει τον μανδύα της τρομοκρατικής οργάνωσης και βλέπουμε όλοι μαζί ότι ενδύεται τον μανδύα του «νόμιμου διαπραγματευτή»! Οι όποιες συμπλοκές σταματάνε ή αναβάλλονται, όμως κανείς δεν μπορεί να αρνηθεί ότι και στην Τουρκία αυξάνεται ο κουρδικός εθνικισμός. Το ΡΚΚ παρουσιάζεται πλέον ως ο μόνος εκπρόσωπος των Κούρδων, ενώ ο διασπαστικός εθνικός ενισχύεται μέρα με την ημέρα ανάμεσα στην κουρδική νεολαία.

Ο εθνικισμός είναι σαν την οδοντόκρεμα. Αν βγει από το σωληνάριο, δεν μπορείς να την ξαναβάλεις μέσα. Ως εκ τούτου, σε περίπτωση που συνεχιστεί αυτή η κατάσταση, η Τουρκία θα πρέπει να μάθει να ζει με την παρουσία ενός ισχυρού εθνικισμού τα επόμενα χρόνια…

Η εκτίμησή μου είναι ότι όλοι οι κατηγορούμενοι του ΡΚΚ – KCK θα απελευθερωθούν σύντομα, ενώ ο Οτζαλάν θα μείνει ελεύθερος έπειτα από κάποιο χρονικό διάστημα. Άλλωστε ετοιμάζουν ψυχολογικά την κοινή γνώμη για κάτι τέτοιο εδώ και καιρό…

Θα μεγαλώσουμε διαλυόμενοι;
Για κάποιους αυτά που αναφέρουμε πιο πάνω όχι μόνο δεν θεωρούνται αρνητικά, αλλά αποτελούν εξελίξεις που θα πρέπει να μας κάνουν να χαρούμε. Με βάση αυτή την προσέγγιση, η Τουρκία για να γίνει μεγάλο κράτος θα πρέπει να ξαναγίνει Οθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι θα πρέπει να διορθωθούν τα λάθη του κεμαλικού κράτους και να επαναφέρουμε την παλιά άποψη που είχαμε για τα έθνη – μιλιέτια.

Πάντα με βάση την ίδια αντίληψη, για να γίνει δυνατή η παλινόρθωση της Οθωμανίας θα πρέπει να ενωθούν διάφορες εθνότητες μέσω ομοσπονδίας ή συνομοσπονδίας. Είναι κάτι ανάλογο με αυτό που είχε προτείνει ο Οζάλ: συνομοσπονδία μέσα σε Τουρκία – Συρία – Ιράκ.

Κάθε μέρα που περνάει δε αυξάνεται ο αριθμός εκείνων που λένεότι για να γίνει αυτό θα πρέπει πρώτα να γίνει μία ομοσπονδία Τούρκων – Κούρδων. Με βάση το σκεπτικό αυτό, θα πρέπει πρώτα να ενωθούν όλοι οι Κούρδοι και μετά να κάνουν ομοσπονδία ή συνομοσπονδία με την Τουρκία. Και αυτό το λένε «θα μεγαλώσουμε διαλυόμενοι».

Όσοι υπερασπίζονται αυτή την άποψη ισχυρίζονται ότι η Τουρκία δεν μπορεί να σηκώσει πλέον μία ένοπλη σύγκρουση με τους Κούρδους. Μία τέτοια σύγκρουση θα σημάνει το τέλος και των δύο πλευρών, άρα η απόσχιση είναι καλύτερη από την τρομοκρατία.

Εμείς να πούμε ότι είναι πολύ αισιόδοξο αυτό το σενάριο, που στηρίζεται στην παραδοχή ότι οι Κούρδοι θα σταθούν στο πλευρό μας λόγω της θρησκείας. Κανείς δεν ξέρει, όμως, πως θα συμπεριφερθεί κάποιος όταν αποκτήσει την ανεξαρτησία του. Με άλλα λόγια, ένα τέτοιο ανεξάρτητο κράτος, αντί για την Τουρκία, μπορεί να επιλέξει το Ισραήλ ή το Ιράν ως εταίρο.
Ο Φατίχ Αλταϊλί, την 1η Ιουνίου 2014 έγραφε στην εφημερίδα “Haberturk”:
«Όπως φαίνεται, το επόμενο διάστημα η Τουρκία θα εγκαταλείψει το ενιαίο κράτος και θα περάσει σε μία ομοσπονδιακή δομή. Αν μας δώσει χρόνια ο Αλλάχ, τα επόμενα δέκα χρόνια θα δούμε την Τουρκία να διαλύεται σε δύο ή τρία κομμάτια, ίσως και περισσότερα. Τα μηνύματα γι αυτό ήδη άρχισαν να έρχονται.

Η Τουρκία θα διαλυθεί. Πιθανόν να έγινε κάποιος σχεδιασμός του στρατηγικού βάθους «να μεγαλώσουμε διαλυόμενοι». Το Κουρδιστάν θα αποσχιστεί από το Ιράκ, θα γίνει ομοσπονδία και με τις περιοχές των Κούρδων της Τουρκίας και μετά θα ενωθεί με την υπόλοιπη Τουρκία».
Αυτή είναι η κατάσταση που επικρατεί μέρα με την μέρα στην Άγκυρα. Όμως, το σενάριο αυτό δεν μπορεί να εφαρμοστεί στην περιοχή μας, όπου δεν υπάρχει η νοοτροπία της συναίνεσης και της συνεννόησης. Όλα αυτά θα μείνουν στα χαρτιά.

Το ΡΚΚ και ο Οτζαλάν, υπό το κάλυμμα του εκδημοκρατισμού, με την τακτική της σαλαμοποίησης, σταδιακά θα κερδίσουν ένα καθεστώς αυτοδιάθεσης. Όμως αυτό δεν έχει καμία σχέση με τον εκδημοκρατισμό και μοιάζει πιο πολύ με τον δρόμο που ακολούθησαν τα έθνη τα οποία ήταν σε καθεστώς αποικίας. Με άλλα λόγια, το ΡΚΚ θέλει να απαλλαγεί από την αποικιοκρατία της Τουρκίας και η διαδικασία που ακολουθείται θα καταλήξει σε μία διαλυμένη Τουρκία.

Τι πρέπει να γίνει;

Κατά την άποψή μου η Τουρκία, αν θέλει να γίνει και πάλι ένα ισχυρό κράτος, θα πρέπει να συμμαζέψει πρώτα απ’ όλα τα του οίκου της. Άρα, θα πρέπει να γίνει ένα κράτος δικαίου. Ένα τέτοιο κράτος, στο οποίο θα θέλουν να ζήσουν μαζί Τούρκοι και Κούρδοι. Αυτό, όμως, δεν θα γίνει παραχωρώντας περισσότερα εθνικά δικαιώματα στους Κούρδους, αλλά περισσότερα δικαιώματα, ελευθερία, δικαιοσύνη και ευημερία σε όλους τους πολίτες.

Το δεύτερο είναι να μάθει η Τουρκία να προστατεύει τον εαυτό της από τη Μέση Ανατολή. Αν όχι, η Μέση Ανατολή θα τραβήξει και θα καταπιεί ολόκληρη την Τουρκία.
Όσον αφορά τη λύση του Κουρδικού χωρίς όπλα, μέσα από διαπραγματεύσεις με το ΡΚΚ, το σημαντικό είναι πως θα γίνει αυτό. Αν δημιουργήσετε εσείς οι ίδιοι μία φυγόκεντρη δύναμη και αν επιτρέψετε την επέκταση και την ενίσχυση του κουρδικού εθνικισμού, τότε δεν πρόκειται να πετύχετε τίποτε.
Εκδημοκρατισμός δεν σημαίνει ενίσχυση εθνικιστικών αποσχιστικών τάσεων.

Τέλος, κανένα κράτος που δεν είναι παρόν σε μία περιοχή που έχει μετατραπεί σε πεδίο ένοπλων συγκρούσεων δεν είναι δυνατόν να κερδίσει στο τραπέζι των διαπραγματεύσεων. Αυτό σημαίνει ότι η Τουρκία πρέπει να είναι ενεργή στο πεδίο των εξελίξεων.

* Τούρκος ακαδημαϊκός, ειδικός σε θέματα Διεθνούς Ασφάλειας και Μέσης Ανατολής
Πηγή εφημ. «Κυριακάτικη Δημοκρατία»

Πρόεδρος της Κομισιόν ο Ζαν Κλοντ Γιούνκερ.[ 4175 ]

Ο Γιούνκερ νέος πρόεδρος της Κομισιόν

ΕΘΝΟΣ On Line
17:39  27/6/2014

Τον Ζαν Κλοντ Γιούνκερ, υποψήφιο του Ευρωπαϊκού Λαϊκού Κόμματος επέλεξαν ως τον επόμενο πρόεδρο της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής, οι ηγέτες της ΕΕ που συνεδρίασαν χθες και σήμερα στις Βρυξέλλες. 
Η επιλογή του διαδόχου του Ζοζέ Μανουέλ Μπαρόζο ήταν αναμενόμενη, παρά την «σταυροφορία» του Βρετανού πρωθυπουργού Ντέιβιντ Κάμερον ο οποίος πολέμησε... μέχρι τέλους την εν λόγω υποψηφιότητα, χαρακτηρίζοντας την επιλογή «σοβαρό λάθος».

Οι ηγέτες αγνόησαν την πεισματική αντίθεση του Βρετανού πρωθυπουργού Ντέιβιντ Κάμερον, ο οποίος θεωρεί «υπερβολικά φεντεραλιστή και παλιομοδίτη» τον Γιούνκερ για να μπορέσει να υλοποιήσει την μεταρρύθμιση της ΕΕ κατά την βρετανική γραμμή και ανέδειξαν στην κεφαλή της Κομισιόν τον πρώην πρωθυπουργό του Λουξεμβούργου και υποψήφιο του μεγαλύτερου κόμματος στην ευρωβουλή, του κεντροδεξιού ΕΛΚ, στο οποίο ανήκει και η Μέρκελ.
.
Ο διορισμός Γιούνκερ, ανακοινώθηκε από τον πρόεδρο του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου, Χέρμαν Βαν Ρομπάι, μέσω twitter:
«Η απόφαση ελήφθη. Το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο πρότεινε τον Ζαν-Κλοντ Γιούνκερ ως τον επόμενο πρόεδρο της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής», έγραψε ο Ρομπάι. 
.
Σύμφωνα με Βρετανό αξιωματούχο, διεξήχθη ψηφοφορία και την υποψηφιότητα Γιούνκερ στήριξαν 26 εκ των 28 ηγετών. «Κατά» ψήφισαν ο Κάμερον και ο πρωθυπουργός της Ουγγαρίας, Βίκτορ Ορμπάν.
Το αποτέλεσμα της ψηφοφορίας- την οποία είχε ζητήσει ο Βρετανός πρωθυπουργός- σπάει την παράδοση της πλήρωσης υψηλών θέσεων στην ΕΕ με ομοφωνία.

Στις πρώτες δηλώσεις του μετά την θετική εξέλιξη ο Γιούνκερ είπε ότι αισθάνεται «υπερηφάνεια και τιμή» που επελέγη από τους ηγέτες των χωρών της ΕΕ να ηγηθεί της Ευρωπαϊκής Επιτροπής.
.
«Αισθάνομαι υπερηφάνεια και τιμή που έλαβα σήμερα τη στήριξη του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου» έγραψε στον λογαριασμό του στο twitter μετά την ανακοίνωση της απόφασης.
.
Ο 59χρονος «βετεράνος των Βρυξελλών» γνωστός για την ικανότητά του στην επίτευξη συμφωνιών, θα πρέπει τώρα να διοριστεί και επισήμως πρόεδρος της Κομισιόν με την έγκριση της πολιτικής του ατζέντας, από το ευρωκοινοβούλιο, στις 16 Ιουλίου.
.
Οι ηγέτες των χωρών της Ευρωπαϊκής Ένωσης θα συναντηθούν εκ νέου στις 16 Ιουλίου, για ένα ανεπίσημο δείπνο εργασίας, στο οποίο θα συζητήσουν για τις υπόλοιπες θέσεις των προέδρων και των Επιτρόπων των θεσμικών οργάνων της ΕΕ, όπως ανέφερε διπλωματική πηγή.
.
Σε αυτήν την άτυπη σύνοδο θα αποφασιστεί μεταξύ άλλων ποιος θα διαδεχτεί τον Βέλγο Χέρμαν βαν Ρομπάι στη θέση του προέδρου του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου καθώς και ποιος θα αναλάβει επικεφαλής της ευρωπαϊκής διπλωματίας στη θέση της σημερινής Ύπατης Εκπροσώπου Εξωτερικών Υποθέσεων, της Βρετανίδας Κάθριν Άστον.
.
Συμπεράσματα Συνόδου
Τις αρχές της «αλληλεγγύης» και της «δίκαιης κατανομής ευθυνών» για μια αποτελεσματική πολιτική μετανάστευσης, ασύλου και συνόρων στην ΕΕ επισημαίνουν, για πρώτη φορά, οι 28 ευρωπαίοι ηγέτες στα συμπεράσματα της Συνόδου Κορυφής
Σύμφωνα με το σχέδιο συμπερασμάτων του Ευρωπαϊκού Συμβουλίου, οι 28 τονίζουν ότι «η Ένωση χρειάζεται μια αποτελεσματική πολιτική μετανάστευσης, ασύλου και συνόρων με άρτια διαχείριση, με γνώμονα τις αρχές της αλληλεγγύης και της δίκαιης κατανομής ευθυνών όπως προβλέπονται στη Συνθήκη, σύμφωνα με το άρθρο 80 ΣΛΕΕ και την πραγματική εφαρμογή της πολιτικής αυτής». .
Επισημαίνεται, επίσης, ότι η δέσμευση της ΕΕ ως προς τη διεθνή προστασία προϋποθέτει μια ισχυρή ευρωπαϊκή πολιτική ασύλου βασιζόμενη στην αλληλεγγύη και την ευθύνη. «Η πλήρης μεταφορά στο εθνικό δίκαιο και η αποτελεσματική εφαρμογή του Κοινού Ευρωπαϊκού Συστήματος Ασύλου (ΚΕΣΑ) είναι απόλυτη προτεραιότητα», αναφέρεται στη συνέχεια.
 .
Επιπλέον, οι 28 για πρώτη φορά υιοθετούν τον όρο «παράνομη μετανάστευση», τονίζοντας στα συμπεράσματά τους ότι θα πρέπει να υπάρξει αποφασιστική αντιμετώπιση της και αποτελεσματική διαχείριση των εξωτερικών συνόρων της ΕΕ. 
 .
Παράλληλα, επισημαίνεται ότι «απαιτείται μια ολοκληρωμένη προσέγγιση με την οποία θα βελτιστοποιούνται τα οφέλη της νόμιμης μετανάστευσης και θα προσφέρεται προστασία σε όσους έχουν ανάγκη».
.
Σύμφωνα με το σχέδιο συμπερασμάτων οι 28 αναγνωρίζουν ότι η απάντηση σε πολλές από τις προκλήσεις που υφίστανται στον τομέα της ελευθερίας, της ασφάλειας και της δικαιοσύνης «βρίσκεται στις σχέσεις με τρίτες χώρες, πράγμα που καθιστά αναγκαία τη βελτίωση της σύνδεσης των εσωτερικών και των εξωτερικών πολιτικών της ΕΕ».
.
Σε ό,τι αφορά την αντιμετώπιση των αιτιών των παράνομων μεταναστευτικών ροών, το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο προβάλει ως «βιώσιμη λύση», την «εντατικοποίηση της συνεργασίας με τις χώρες προέλευσης και διέλευσης, καθώς και την χορήγηση βοήθειας για να ενισχυθεί η ικανότητά στη διαχείριση της μετανάστευσης και των συνόρων».
Επισημαίνεται, ωστόσο, ότι «οι πολιτικές μετανάστευσης πρέπει να ενισχυθούν ως αναπόσπαστο μέρος των εξωτερικών και αναπτυξιακών πολιτικών της Ένωσης, με την εφαρμογή της αρχής «περισσότερα κίνητρα για περισσότερα αποτελέσματα» και με βάση τη συνολική προσέγγιση της μετανάστευσης και της κινητικότητας».
.
Τέλος, το Ευρωπαϊκό Συμβούλιο καλεί τα θεσμικά όργανα της ΕΕ και τα κράτη μέλη να διασφαλίσουν την κατάλληλη νομοθετική και επιχειρησιακή συνέχεια αυτών των κατευθυντηρίων γραμμών και δηλώνει ότι θα προβεί σε ενδιάμεση επισκόπηση το 2017.

Iraq, the clock has been turned back hundreds of years..[ 4143 ]

Iraq militants 'turning back clock' in captured Mosul

17 hours ago

.

Baghdad (AFP) - In the two weeks since it was seized by Sunni militants, some residents of the northern Iraq city of Mosul feel the clock has been turned back hundreds of years.

The militants, led by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) jihadist group, have begun imposing an extreme interpretation of Islamic law in the days since they took the city, residents reached by telephone told AFP.
"These militants will return us and our country hundreds of years backwards, and their laws are the opposite of the laws of human rights and international laws," said Umm Mohammed, a 35-year-old teacher.
"We live in continuous fear of being subjected to new pressures," she said. "We are afraid of being prevented from working and contributing to building the community."
The city, known before 2003 for its historic sites and parks and in later years as a hub for deadly violence, fell on June 10 to the militants, who subsequently overran surrounding Nineveh province and swathes of other territory.
Security forces in Mosul, a city of some two million people before the offensive, wilted in the face of the onslaught, in some cases abandoning uniforms and even vehicles in their haste to flee.

View gallery

Iraqi families fleeing violence in the northern Nineveh province gather at a Kurdish checkpoint in A …

After seizing control, gunmen declared Nineveh a part of their Islamic state and issued a document outlining new rules.
The 16-point document announced the prohibition of the selling and consumption of alcohol and drugs as well as smoking, and forbade gatherings and carrying weapons.
Women are to wear non-revealing clothes and keep to their homes, while "shrines" are to be destroyed.
- Statues of poets removed -
All depictions of people are considered idolatrous under the militants' extreme interpretation of Islam, and gunmen have removed various statues from the city in recent days, including some depicting famous poets.

 

Iraqi military kit litters the ground close to the Kukjali Iraqi Army checkpoint, some 10km of east  …

Abu Ramzi, one of Mosul's Christians who did not flee the city, said militants destroyed a statue of the Virgin Mary in front of a church.
"We have not received any threat from any side yet," Abu Ramzi said. "We will not leave our houses and city even if they slaughter us."
The militants also distributed a document to mosques in the city ordering that they not make or publish any statement not approved by ISIL, and designated a specific mosque for the acceptance of the "repentance of apostates".

ISIL has also appointed representatives for different areas of the city who are to conduct a survey of its residents.

One resident who fled said a neighbour told him that gunmen came to check empty houses in the area and find out who owns them.

 

Iraqi families fleeing violence in the northern Nineveh province gather at a Kurdish checkpoint in A …

"They asked about my house, my (religious) sect and my phone number," he said.
The gunmen left a message that he had two days to return and renounce his Shiite faith, or the house would be burned.
Militants are deployed in most areas of Mosul, some on foot and others moving either in civilian vehicles or those captured from security forces when they withdrew, one resident said.
Some wear civilian clothes, while others dress in military uniforms or black.

The militants, some of whom mask their faces, are armed with a variety of weapons, including Kalashnikov assault rifles and pistols.

- Major electricity shortage -

There is a major electricity shortage in the city, and fuel is also in short supply, with hundreds of people waiting for hours at petrol stations to fuel their cars and trucks.

But not all residents of Mosul view the militants in a negative light.

"The gunmen in Mosul are decent people, they are treating the residents well," said Umm Abdullah, a woman who was among half a million people who fled the city in the wake of the militant takeover.

"We're not leaving because of them, we're leaving because the government is bombing and has cut the electricity and water in Mosul," she said.

"To be honest, I'm happy they took control of Mosul. I see them as rebels, not gunmen, and I think they will make the city better."

But another resident, Abu Ali, 40, said that the city has just moved from restrictions by Iraqi security forces to others by the militants, who are imposing "a new style of life on us".

Iraq, advancing ISIS militants..[ 4140 ]

Four western Iraqi towns fall to advancing ISIS militants

By Michael Martinez, Mohammed Tawfeeq and Chelsea J. Carter, CNN

June 22, 2014 -- Updated 1444 GMT (2244 HKT)

Source: CNN

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A strategic border crossing and three other towns in western Iraq fell Saturday to the control of ISIS militants, a senior Iraqi security official said.

In addition to their offensives in northern Iraq, the militants have strengthened their hand in the western province of Anbar, the country's largest geographically, and were controlling Qaim, Rawa, Ana and Husaybah, said the senior official, who's based in Anbar.

In all, the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, or ISIS, controlled more than 70% of Anbar province, two security officials in the province told CNN.
.

Most importantly, ISIS controlled the strategic town of Qaim on the border with Syria, where the enemy fighters enjoy a stronghold, Iraqi security officials said Saturday.
.

Together, the four towns are situated along a highway from Syria to Baghdad, heightening possibilities that the militants could now march from the west to lay siege to the Iraqi capital. One of the four towns, Husaybah, is just 100 kilometers (60 miles) outside Baghdad.

Read more :

• 4 western Iraqi towns fall to advancing ISIS militants

 

Τhe role of USA in Iraq..[ 4134 ]

What is America's role in Iraq?

Crossfire|Added on June 19, 2014

  Stephanie Cutter and S.E. Cupp debate the role of America in Iraq with Rep. Adam Kinzinger and Rep. Loretta Sanchez.

.

Struggle for Iraq..[ 4125 ]

Iraq crisis: Fierce battles for Baiji and Tal Afar

BBC, 20 June 2014 Last updated at 13:17 GM

.
Islamist-led militants and pro-government forces are engaged in fierce battles for the Baiji oil refinery and Tal Afar airport in northern Iraq.

Baiji, Iraq's biggest refinery, is surrounded by the rebels, who say they have seized most of Tal Afar irport.
The fighting comes a day after the US said it would send some 300 military advisers to help the fight against the insurgents.
President Barack Obama stressed that US troops would not fight in Iraq.
US Secretary of State John Kerry is expected to travel to Iraq soon to press for a more representative cabinet, hoping this could ease tensions between the country's rival Muslim sects.
The country's highest Shia religious authority, Grand Ayatollah Ali Al-Sistani, has called for a new government to be set up quickly now the results of recent elections have been ratified.
He said a new government needed to aim for "broad national acceptance" and to "remedy past mistakes".
Correspondents say that will be seen by many as criticism of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki.
Mr Maliki has been accused of pursuing anti-Sunni policies, pushing some Sunni militants to join the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), which has made rapid advances in recent days.
About 500,000 people have fled their homes in the country's second-largest city, Mosul, which ISIS captured last week.

Analysis: John Simpson, BBC News, Baghdad
President Obama's statement wasn't the lifeline the Iraqi government hoped for. They wanted immediate airstrikes to stop ISIS in its tracks.
Instead, they will get up to 300 military advisers, who will restore the backbone to the Iraqi National Army which it has been missing since the Americans withdrew. The promise of air strikes is there, but attacks by US planes or missiles will, it seems, be dependent on some clear improvement in the way Iraq is governed; even though Mr Obama wouldn't say so.
He believes Prime Minister Nouri Maliki has endangered Iraq by ignoring Sunni concerns and governing in the interests of the Shia majority. Mr Maliki's supporters deny this and say he won't resign, but rivals to him are said to be emerging.
The least Mr Maliki will have to do is create a new and more inclusive government. Only then, perhaps, will the bombing start.

ISIS says it has downed two military helicopters around the Baiji refinery but this has not been independently confirmed.
The BBC's Jim Muir in Irbil, northern Iraq, says it is thought the militants may have captured part of the vast oil complex.
They have also seized a disused chemical weapons factory in Muthanna, 70km (45 miles) north-west of the capital, Baghdad.
.

A video posted online by ISIS claims to show British and Australian nationals

The US says it does not believe the site contains any material that the insurgents could use to make chemical weapons.
But state department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said: "We remain concerned about the seizure of any military site by" ISIS.
Iraq has asked the US for air strikes against the Sunni militants.
Mr Obama said the US was prepared for "targeted and precise military action, if and when" required, but he insisted there was "no military solution" to the crisis.
He also pointedly urged the Shia-led Iraqi government to be "inclusive".
"The United States will not pursue military actions that support one sect inside of Iraq at the expense of another," Mr Obama said.
..

The BBC released extended video of reporter Paul Wood under fire from ISIS in Jalula

ISIS in Iraq

The rebels now control the northern cities of Mosul and Tikrit

ISIS grew out of an al-Qaeda-linked organisation in Iraq

• Estimated 10,000 fighters in Iraq and Syria
• Joined in its offensives by other Sunni militant groups, including Saddam-era officers and soldiers, and disaffected Sunni tribal fighters
• Exploits standoff between Iraqi government and the minority Sunni Arab community, which complains that Shia Prime Minister Nouri Maliki is monopolising power
• ISIS led by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an obscure figure regarded as a battlefield commander and tactician

Iraq 'massacre' photos: What we know

In addition to sending advisers, Mr Obama said that the US would be increasing intelligence efforts and setting up "joint operation centres in Baghdad and northern Iraq".
On Wednesday, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen Martin Dempsey, warned that the US military still lacked sufficient intelligence to launch air strikes. He told a congressional hearing that pilots would have difficulty knowing who they were attacking from the air.

Thousands of Iraqi Shia have volunteered to join the army and help fight ISIS

Iraq's sectarian split

Members of Iraq's Shia majority community have volunteered to fight alongside the security forces

• Sunnis and Shia share fundamental beliefs, but differ in doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organisation
• The origins of the split lie in a dispute over who should have succeeded the Prophet Muhammad as leader of the Muslim community
• Sunnis are the majority sect in the Muslim world, but Shia, most of them ethnic Arabs, form between 60% and 65% of Iraq's population; Sunnis make up 32-37%, split between Arabs and Kurds
• Sunni Arabs dominated Iraq under Saddam Hussein and their persecution of the Shia stoked sectarian tensions; the US-led invasion in 2003 gave the Shia an opportunity to seek redress
• Nouri Maliki has been accused of denying Sunni Arabs meaningful representation and pursuing security policies that target them

Sunnis and Shias: What's the story?
Jeremy Bowen: Why Sunni-Shia tensions have returned

US airstrikes to support Iranian offensive in Iraq?..[ 4105 ]

US airstrikes to support Iranian Revolutionary Guard's offensive in Iraq?

RΤ June 12, 2014 21:16 

Published time: 17/6/14 

F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft (AFP Photo / DOD / US Air Force / JonathanSynder)

Iran deployed its Revolutionary Guard to help Iraq battle insurgents from a group inspired by Al-Qaeda, according to a recent report. In the meantime, the US is mulling airstrikes to support the Iraqi government.
On Wednesday, Al-Qaeda affiliate insurgents from the armed group Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or ISIS) conquered former dictator Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit, marking the second major loss for the Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Earlier this week, insurgents captured Mosul, the second-largest city in the country. With jihadists threatening Baghdad and security forces unable resist the Sunni Islamists' assault, Maliki turned to foreign powers for help, getting responses from two unlikely allies, Iran and the US.
Two battalions of the Quds Forces, which is the overseas branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, moved to Iraq on Wednesday, the Wall Street Journal reported. There they worked jointly with Iraqi troops to retake control of 85 percent of Tikrit, security forces from both countries told the Journal. Iranian forces are also helping guard the Iraqi capital of Bagdhad, as well as two Shiite holy cities that the Sunni jihadists are threatening.

Iranian Revolutionary Guard (Reuters / Raheb Homavandi)

Meanwhile, on Thursday morning, US President Barack Obama declared that he doesn't rule out any options with regards to the ISIS takeover of cities in the northern region of Iraq. The administration and its national security team are discussing military options. 
.
“We do have a stake in ensuring these jihadists don't get foothold in either Iraq or Syria,” Obama said. 
.
Later in the day, White House Press Secretary Jay Carney clarified that US will not send ground troops to Iraq, but is seriously considering airstrikes that would help to drive jihadist militants out of their strongholds.
Iraq has privately indicated to the Obama administration that it would welcome airstrikes with either drones or manned aircraft that target ISIS militants in Iraqi territory, US officials said Wednesday. 
.
If so, US may find itself assisting its archnemesis in the Middle East to fight against Sunni militias that enjoy support from one of America's closest allies in the region, Saudi Arabia. The ruling family of the kingdom has long been accused of supplying jihadists all over the region with arms and financial support, the New York Times reported.

The US and Iran severed diplomatic relations in 1979, after Islamic militants following Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini seized the government and deposed the American-backed shah. Iranian students stormed the American embassy in Tehran, leading to the 444-day Iran hostage crisis. Following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran was in a state of heavy international isolation. The US has led the world in debilitating sanctions against the Islamic Republic that have increased as the Middle Eastern country has developed its nuclear program. 
.
Under Hussein’s dictarorship, Sunnis dominated the Iraqi political landscape, even though over 60 percent of Iraqis are Shia. In Iran, over 95 percent of the population is Shia. The two countries are the only majority-Shiite nations in the Middle East. (Over 1.1 billion Muslims around the world are Sunni, while less than 200 million Muslims are Shia.)
.
From 1980 to 1988, the two nations battled in a deadly war in which both sides deployed chemical weapons. The US sided with Hussein during that war, but turned against the dictator when he invaded American ally Kuwait in 1990, leading to the first Gulf War. Hussein stayed in power until the second Gulf War began in March 2003. 
.
Once Hussein was captured by American forces in December 2003, the Shia majority regained political power. Al-Maliki is a Shiite Muslim and has become unpopular with Iraq Sunni minority, which has accused the government of discrimination. Since 2005, Iran and Iraq have had a flourishing relationship, and are now considered to be each other’s strongest allies.

Militants of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) waving the trademark Islamists flag after they allegedly seized an Iraqi army checkpoint in the northern Iraqi province of Salahuddin on June 11, 2014. (AFP Photo / HO / Welyat Salahuddin)

Quds Forces have been active in Iraq for years, creating, training and funding Shiite militias that battled the US military after the 2003 invasion. Iran sees the battle for Iraq as “an existential sectarian battle between the two rival sects of Islam-Sunni and Shiite—and by default a proxy battle between their patrons Saudi Arabia and Iran,” according to the Wall Street Journal. 
.
The US still sees Iraq as vital to its national interests, despite having pulled its troops out of the country at the end of 2011.
“What we've seen over last couple of days indicates degree to which Iraq is going to need more help,” Obama said, calling recent events a “wake-up call for the Iraqi government.”
. 
"The next 9/11 is in the making," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) said of the danger of the Iraqi insurgency

UK 'united' in opposing Juncker..[ 4064 ]

Setback for Cameron as EU party blocs back Juncker 

BBC..13 June 2014 Last updated at 10:32 GMT 

David Cameron battles to prevent Jean-Claude Juncker   getting the EU's top job.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron has suffered a setback in his battle to prevent Jean-Claude Juncker getting the EU's top job.

Mr Cameron has made a direct appeal to voters in Ireland, France and Germany to back a candidate who will change the way Brussels is run.
.
He calls for "bold leadership" for the European Commission.
But the main centre-left and centre-right groups in the European Parliament have joined forces to back Mr Juncker.
Manfred Weber, head of the European People's Party, the main centre-right group, said: "There is growing support for Juncker at all levels".
He said choosing any other candidate would trigger "a constitutional crisis".
'No veto' The EPP lost many seats at last month's European elections but remains the largest group in the Brussels parliament. So it argues that under new rules its candidate for the job - Mr Juncker - must be considered first.
.
Mr Weber said Britain was "only one country among 28 and there is no right of veto" on naming the next Commission president.
Mr Cameron argues that Mr Juncker represents an EU elite favouring "ever closer union" which is out of touch with many voters and resistant to radical reform of the EU.

Jean-Claude Juncker

Jean-Claude Juncker has the backing of German leader Angela Merkel

Hannes Swoboda, leader of the centre-left Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group, said: "We reiterate that Jean-Claude Juncker - as the candidate of the largest group in the European Parliament - must have the right to be the first to seek a majority in the European Parliament, through proposing an adequate work programme."
But David Cameron, who with Sweden and the Netherlands opposes Mr Juncker's candidacy, attacks the new rules in his newspaper article.
.
He says each of the main political groups ran "lead candidates" - so-called Spitzenkandidaten - during the elections and did "a back-room deal to join forces after the elections in support of the lead candidate of the party that won the most seats". 
,
This, Mr Cameron said, is not a process discussed by European institutions nor ratified by national parliaments.
Dispute over procedure The prime minister insists that his concerns are "not an attack on Mr Juncker, an experienced European politician, to say this is nonsense".
"Most Europeans did not vote in the European Parliament elections. Turnout declined in the majority of member states. Nowhere was Mr Juncker on the ballot paper. 
.
"Even in Germany, where the concept of 'Spitzenkandidaten' got the most airtime, only 15% of voters even knew he was a candidate. He did not visit some member states. Those who voted did so to choose their MEP not the Commission president.
"Mr Juncker did not stand anywhere and was not elected by anyone."
.
Mr Cameron said that under the EU treaties, it is for EU heads of government to propose the candidate to head the European Commission, and then for MEPs to vote on this candidate in a secret ballot.
However, the prime minister said, "certain MEPs have invented a new process whereby they are trying to both choose and elect the candidate". 
.
Explaining the reasons why he wanted a more reform-minded candidate, Mr Cameron says: "The results of last month's European elections showed people were disillusioned with the way the EU was working.
"They are demanding change so it focuses on what they care about: growth and jobs. And they want the EU to help them, not dictate to them."
.
Tension over German party This was clear, he wrote, through the rise of anti-EU parties, the fall in turnout in most countries and the decline in support for the European Parliament's largest political groups.
Mr Cameron also said Europeans must focus on finding the best candidate for Commission president.
The ideal candidate, he said, would be "someone who can deliver reform; driving growth and creating jobs; and accepting that Europe's needs may best be served by action at the national level".
He called for "an honest and trusted broker able to re-engage Europe's voters". 
.
It comes as the group of MEPs founded by the Conservatives voted to admit Germany's Alternative fuer Deutschland (AfD) party - an anti-euro rival to Mrs Merkel's Christian Democrats.
.
BBC Europe correspondent Chris Morris said the vote by members of the European Conservatives and Reformists was a "setback" for Mr Cameron, which could put further strain on his relations with the German chancellor.
.
EU leaders hold a summit on 26 and 27 June, with the Commission job top of the agenda.