Jean-Claude Juncker Elected President Of European Commission

EU Elects New Chief Despite British Opposition
FILE - In this April 5, 2014 file picture German chancellor Angela Merkel, and then top candidate of the European People's Party for the European Elections, Jean-Claude Juncker, wave to participants at the convention of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered a clear endorsement of Luxembourg's former premier Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission leader after drawing criticism for appearing cool on her fellow conservative. Merkel said Friday May 30, 2014 she is holding talks "in the spirit that Jean-Claude Juncker should become European Commission president." (AP Photo/dpa, Daniel Naupold,File)
FILE - In this April 5, 2014 file picture German chancellor Angela Merkel, and then top candidate of the European People's Party for the European Elections, Jean-Claude Juncker, wave to participants at the convention of Merkel's Christian Democratic Party in Berlin. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has offered a clear endorsement of Luxembourg's former premier Jean-Claude Juncker as the next European Commission leader after drawing criticism for appearing cool on her fellow conservative. Merkel said Friday May 30, 2014 she is holding talks "in the spirit that Jean-Claude Juncker should become European Commission president." (AP Photo/dpa, Daniel Naupold,File)

BRUSSELS (AP) — A top official says European Union leaders have chosen former Luxembourg Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker to become the 28-nation bloc's new chief executive.

EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy said Friday in a Twitter message that leaders nominated Juncker as the next President of the European Commission, the bloc's powerful executive arm.

Juncker's nomination is breaking with a decades-old tradition of choosing the Commission president by consensus because Britain opposed him.

Juncker still needs to be confirmed by the European Parliament before starting his term later in the year, taking over from Jose Manuel Barroso.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said earlier Friday he would vote against Juncker because he views the 59-year-old as the embodiment of a pro-integration, consensus-favoring, empire-building Brussels clique that won't return power to member nations.

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