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1. LIBERALS PICK VERHOFSTADT (AND REHN) AT BRUSSELS
CONGRESS
1 FEB
2014 has not been an easy year for the Liberals. They lost their spot as third-largest group in the European Parliament, and have
three fewer commissioners this time.
However, they were the first of the main three parties to select a lead candidate, with Guy Verhofstadt (centre) being the Liberal
nominee for the European Commission presidency. A pre-Congress deal between Verhofstadt and Olli Rehn (second left), then the
Vice-President of the Commission for Economic and Monetary Affairs, avoided what was likely to have been a tight vote.
Verhofstadt was thought to have won the debates between the lead candidates, but some national Liberal parties, especially in
Germany and the UK, suffered in the elections.
Verhofstadt returned to lead the ALDE Group in the European Parliament, while Rehn – put forward by his party for ‘another top job’
– had to console himself with a Parliament vice-presidency.

2. SOCIALISTS CONFIRM
SCHULZ
1 MAR
The Liberals almost had a contest; the Socialists had a coronation.
The President of the European Parliament, Martin Schulz, was the only candidate for the Socialist nomination and became the centre-left’s
pick for the Commission presidency at a Congress in Rome.
The Socialists had led the way in promoting the Spitzenkandidat concept, with the Liberals and especially the centre-right European
People’s Party appearing to be more reticent about the idea of linking the Parliament elections and the Commission presidency. The
Greens (who elected Ska Keller and José Bové in a public primary election) and the Party of the European Left (who picked Alexis
Tsipras) had, by this time, also named their candidates. Only the EPP name remained unknown.
Schulz’s juggled his new role with the presidency of the European Parliament, causing some controversy. But by the end of 2014, he was
had become a key figure of the European centre-left – and was back for an unprecedented second term as the Parliament’s President.

3. JUNCKER BEATS BARNIER, AND THE RACE IS
ON
6 MAR
Less than a week after Schulz was nominated, the battle was drawn. Jean-Claude Juncker won the only contested nomination vote
among the three main parties, beating Michel Barnier, then the Commission for the Internal Market and Services, at the EPP
Election Congress in Dublin.
Juncker had the backing of Angela Merkel (who was perhaps conscious of the need for a German speaker to counter Schulz in her
own country) and secured a comfortable victory, made easier by the late withdrawal of the former Latvian prime minister, Valdis
Dombrovskis, from the race. Dombrovskis’ consolation would soon come, in the shape of a vice-presidency of the new Commission.
The wide array of political heavyweights in Dublin strengthened Juncker’s position, despite rumours that the heart of some leaders
was not in the process, and that they would seek to sideline the former Luxembourg PM after the European elections.
Juncker – mocked and derided by some – was, it turned out, made of sterner stuff.

4. JUNCKER BEATS BARNIER, AND THE RACE IS
ON
6 MAR
Less than a week after Schulz was nominated, the battle was drawn. Jean-Claude Juncker won the only contested nomination vote
among the three main parties, beating Michel Barnier, then the Commission for the Internal Market and Services, at the EPP
Election Congress in Dublin.
Juncker had the backing of Angela Merkel (who was perhaps conscious of the need for a German speaker to counter Schulz in her
own country) and secured a comfortable victory, made easier by the late withdrawal of the former Latvian prime minister, Valdis
Dombrovskis, from the race. Dombrovskis’ consolation would soon come, in the shape of a vice-presidency of the new Commission.
The wide array of political heavyweights in Dublin strengthened Juncker’s position, despite rumours that the heart of some leaders
was not in the process, and that they would seek to sideline the former Luxembourg PM after the European elections.
Juncker – mocked and derided by some – was, it turned out, made of sterner stuff.