Cameron vows to fight Juncker appointment ‘to the end’

London: David Cameron has pledged to fight the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European commission “right up to the end”.

As UK officials admitted that the prime minister faces a tough battle, Britain suffered a fresh setback when it was confirmed that Italy will demand a relaxation of European austerity policies in return for agreement on the appointment.

Downing Street had hoped Matteo Renzi, who had questioned the “lead candidate” or Spitzenkandidaten system that has made Juncker the frontrunner, might oppose the former Luxembourg prime minister. But the Italian prime minister will indicate he is open to a deal in exchange for more time to tackle Italy’s budget deficit.

Cameron rejected any deals, saying: “There is an important principle at stake here, which is that the accountable elected members of the European council — the elected heads of government should be the ones who propose who runs the European commission. I will go on putting forward that principle and opposing this process of having someone put on us by the European parliament through a fairly strange set of elections. I will go on opposing that right up to the end. There is absolutely no question of changing my view.”

Cameron’s intervention during a press conference with the Chinese premier, Li Keqiang, comes amid a growing feeling in Downing Street that Britain faces a tough fight to block Juncker, who is the lead candidate of the European People’s party, the main centre-right grouping in the European parliament. European leaders are due to discuss Juncker’s prospects over dinner in Ypres, originally designed to mark the centenary of the first world war, on Thursday next week.

Britain’s isolation will be highlighted when the Italian prime minister meets Herman Van Rompuy, the European council president, who chairs next week’s summit and is mediating between EU national and parliamentary leaders over the Juncker question. Renzi and the French president, Franois Hollande, both on the centre-left, are demanding more time to reduce their budget deficits and want certain categories of public spending exempted from deficit-level calculations.

“That’s Renzi’s condition for agreement on any [commission] candidate,” said Hannes Swoboda, outgoing leader of the social democrats in the European parliament. “Van Rompuy knows he has to give Renzi an answer.”

Cameron made it clear he would not cut any deals as he moved to smoke out Angela Merkel, who shares his concerns about the process that has made Juncker the frontrunner. The German chancellor has moved decisively in favour of Juncker after Cameron reportedly told the last EU summit that his appointment would increase the chances of Britain exiting the EU.

Cameron said: “My view is very clear. It is for others to make their view clear. If you are for reform then you need to stand up and fight for reform. If you are against transferring power from the European council to the European parliament, you have to stand up and say so.”

Downing Street has not given up on blocking Juncker, although it admits it faces a difficult challenge. “The die is not cast until EU leaders meet next week,” one source said. “But it will be tough.”

Cameron appears increasingly isolated in what has become a shrill campaign to try to stop Juncker. Merkel is said by senior diplomats in Brussels to have decided against Cameron and for Juncker. London’s main hopes of blocking Juncker hinge on Renzi, but the chances look slim.

Van Rompuy is expected to include language in his policy blueprint that would allow Renzi to claim victory. In return, the Italian leader, who emerged as the big winner of the European elections, would agree to join the majority at next week’s summit, which looks increasingly likely to nominate Juncker for the commission post despite Cameron’s bitter opposition.

Cameron’s anti-Juncker campaign has peaked over the past week and shown him to be relatively isolated. He spent two days in Sweden with the German, Dutch and Swedish leaders, where Merkel rebuked him for delivering threats about a UK reaction to a Juncker appointment.

At a dinner with the 27 other EU envoys in Brussels, Ivan Rogers, the UK ambassador, delivered a broadside against Juncker, reiterating warnings that Britain could quit the EU as a result. Cameron then wrote a commentary for several European newspapers condemning Juncker as unacceptable and illegitimate, never to be supported by Britain.

In Brussels on Friday, Rogers invited journalists from the main European (non-British) newspapers for breakfast to ram home the message. The newspapers then published articles reporting that Britain was losing the battle.

“More and more it is clear that Juncker will be nominated,” said Swoboda.

Diplomatic cables from Brussels to a north European capital reported on the various meetings and negotiations, concluding that Merkel has decided to push Juncker into the commission job in the autumn and that she wanted a decision next week at the latest.

The cables reported on the results of Van Rompuy’s mediation, which included two conversations with Merkel and “one very difficult and long meeting” with Cameron.

Merkel, no big fan of Juncker but facing a hostile reaction at home if she abandons him, was said to be resigned to proposing him for the job.

“Her concerns are that the longer the debate goes on, the more toxic it is becoming,” the diplomats reported. “She fears an outbreak of a ‘UK v Germany’ debate, which could get nasty. The chancellor now favours moving very promptly to appointing Juncker, and in any event at the latest at the end of the month.”

According to the cables, Merkel told Van Rompuy she had made her position clear to Cameron, while the prime minister contested that in conversation with Van Rompuy. The mediator was “confused” and went back to Merkel.

“The chancellor then left Van Rompuy in no doubt as to her position and said that she had been ‘very clear’ with PM Cameron on her planned next steps Van Rompuy sees no alternative to the appointment of Juncker.”