EU parliament leaders ask national leaders to nominate Commission president

Leaders of a majority of parties in the newly elected European Parliament called on EU national leaders meeting later on Tuesday to nominate a winning lawmaker to be the next head of the executive European Commission.

In a statement agreed at the first meeting of party leaders in the new legislature, the Parliament's conference of presidents said it wanted the Council of national governments to respect the so-called "Spitzenkandidat" process by which a lead candidate from a parliamentary party should run the Commission.

The statement said it was "reconfirming our resolve for the lead candidate process so that the next Commission president has made her/his program and personality known prior to the elections, and engaged in a European-wide campaign."