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Merkel Calls for EU Commission Solution by June 30: Official

Merkel said EU’s horse-trading over top jobs will lead to complications if a candidate isn’t chosen by Sunday, said an official.

Merkel Calls for EU Commission Solution by June 30: Official
Angela Merkel speaks during a conference. (Photographer: Christoph Morin/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- Chancellor Angela Merkel warned that the European Union’s horse-trading over top jobs will lead to complications if a candidate isn’t chosen by Sunday, according to a party official.

The German leader told lawmakers from her Christian Democratic-led bloc that she hopes factions in the European Parliament agree on a candidate to lead the EU commission by mid-week before leaders are to decide on a candidate at a special June 30 summit, the official said on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.

Merkel again supported the stance of the center-right European People’s Party that its lead candidate, Manfred Weber, should take the job, the official said. Weber’s chances diminished significantly last week after EU leaders determined he lacked support in the European Parliament and the European Council of heads of state and government.

To contact the reporters on this story: Arne Delfs in Berlin at adelfs@bloomberg.net;Patrick Donahue in Berlin at pdonahue1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Ben Sills at bsills@bloomberg.net, Raymond Colitt

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