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Senior EPP source says the group is "100pc behind @ManfredWeber" as the lead candidate for European Commssion president - and that is most likely the only job they will want to go for. "So there will be other significant jobs available for liberals, socialists and greens."
EPP watchword is "stability", ie they want to form a coalition with the Socialists, Liberals and Greens, ruling out any dealing with the far right. Dismissive of any talk of a "progressive" coalition as proclaimed by @FransTimmerman last night + @vestager...
EPP insist any coalition without the EPP will push the participants to the far left. Source says: Do the math: if you want a coalition with without the EPP you have to go all the way to the left. There’s no stopping with the Greens. If you stop there you get 160 seats [maj=183]
Source says turnout means people engaging much more on European issues, so any new coalition will have to develop a legislative program and not just land on a spitz candidate [tricky as the Commission has sole right of legislative initiative]
Source suggests the Merkel Macron axis will kick in at the leaders dinner tomorrow night and they will go for a pro-EU candidate rather than the "progressive" idea of Timmerman that would rely on far left.
