EURACTIV.com Est. 1min 26-06-2014 (updated: 08-01-2015 ) Jean-Claude Juncker [Reuters] Euractiv is part of the Trust Project >>> Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn WhatsApp Telegram On 26-27 June, EU leaders gathered in Ypres and in Brussels for a European Council meeting. On the agenda were strategic priorities for Europe in the next five years, who will lead the EU executive and more. Read up on recent events as we covered them, live. //storify.com/euractiv/live-who-will-lead-europe/embed?header=false&border=false [<a href=”//storify.com/euractiv/live-who-will-lead-europe” target=”_blank”>View the story “Live: Who will lead Europe?” on Storify</a>] Read more with Euractiv EU diplomats struggle to understand Cameron's strategy on JunckerEuropean Union officials have offered Britain several olive branches to try to prevent a summit on Friday (27 June) ending in isolation and defeat. But Prime Minister David Cameron has rejected them, preferring to make a stand on principle and refusing to approve Jean-Claude Juncker as the next President of the European Commission. Subscribe now to our newsletter EU Elections Decoded Email Address * Politics Newsletters BackgroundThe European elections on 22-25 May were the first to be held under the Lisbon Treaty. The treaty states that the European Parliament shall elect the commission president on the basis of a proposal made by the European Council, "taking into account" the results of the European elections (Article 17, Paragraph 7 of the TEU). This will apply for the first time in the 2014 elections. The centre-right European People's Party (EPP) has put forward Jean-Claude Juncker as their candidate and won the largest number of seats in the European Parliament, making him the natural candidate to succeed José Manuel Barroso as European Commission President. But the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, has warned against raising false expectations in this process. EU heads of state, too, are split: notably UK prime minister David Cameron has rejected Juncker strongly. >> Read our LinksDossier: The EU top jobs: Who's next? Timeline 26-27 June: EU summit expected to designate new EU Commission President 1-3 July: First plenary session of the newly constituted European Parliament. Informal negotiations with EU heads of states 14-17 July: Parliament votes to approve or reject Commission president nominee in Strasbourg plenary session Summer: National leaders designate their commissioners to Brussels. New president distributes portfolios within his team of 28 commissioners September: Each commissioner is scrutinised in individual hearings before Parliament committees October: European Parliament votes to approve or reject new Commission College as a whole 1 November: Target date for new Commission to take office 1 November: End of mandate of Herman Van Rompuy, president of the European Council. Further Reading European Council: Official page for informal meeting on 27 May
