By Martin Banks - 2nd April 2009
Nothing will be decided until after June's elections
Senior PES source
The European parliament has asked the Czech EU presidency to postpone a planned summit in June in order to allow MEPs the chance to be consulted over the next European commission president.
The institution wants the summit, originally pencilled in for 18-19 June, to be put back a week until 25-26 June.
The EU member states' nominee for the next commission president is due to be announced at the summit and a delay would give MEPs more time to be consulted.
A parliamentary source said, "The problem is that the European elections fall on 4-7 June and, in light of that, it would be easier all round if the summit is delayed a week."
Although, formally, the parliament does not have to be consulted over the nominee for president, the Czechs have agreed to let MEPs have a say before their six-month presidency ends.
Parliament is due to meet in plenary in Strasbourg on 15 July to vote on whoever is nominated by the council.
At present, commission president José Manuel Barroso is generally expected to be re-appointed as president but there is growing speculation that Poul Nyrup Rasmussen, an MEP and former Danish prime minister,will emerge as a candidate in the coming weeks.
In an interview with Le Monde this week, Rasmussen, who is currently also president of the Party of European Socialists, called for the timetable for appointing the next commission president to be delayed.
He said that, depnding on the outcome of the June election, "We will do what we can to ensure the Socialists have a candidate for the presidency."
He refused to say, however, whether he would accept an invitation from the French Socialists to stand.
A senior PES source refused to rule out the possibility of Rasmussen running for the top post, saying, "Nothing will be decided until after June's elections."
The key factor, he said, will be how the Socialists perform in the election.
"If we have a majority or a coalition can be formed then there is every chance he will throw his hat into the ring."
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