After the European elections

The power poker for “luxury jobs” in the EU begins

Othmar Karas, Ursula von der Leyen, Magnus Brunner and an unknown. Who will win the race for the coveted jobs?(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/MarijanMurat, Christian Georgescu, EPA/Oliver Hoslet, APA/picturedesk/Hochmuth)

On June 9, not only will 705 MEPs from 27 member states be elected to the EU Parliament. There will also be a complete reshuffle at the top of the EU. Will Ursula von der Leyen become Commission President again? Who has the best chance of succeeding Johannes Hahn as Commissioner? And what will Othmar Karas do?

What starts after the EU election Sunday could also be called the great haggling in Brussels. From the President of the Council and the President of the Commission to the EU Commissioners and the President of the European Parliament - all the top EU jobs will be filled. The Spitzenkandidaten model was informally introduced in 2014, according to which the front man of the party with the most votes is also appointed Commission President. However, in the last ballot in 2019, the EU member states did not opt for the then conservative lead candidate Manfred Weber, but for the then German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen.