Jean-Claude Juncker, expected to soon be the EU's most powerful politician, has come to dislike Britain with an abiding passion – but Luxembourg is our traditional friend There had been speculation that the appointment of Mr Juncker could result in Mr Cameron campaigning to leave the EU if the new president made it impossible to reform Britain’s relationship with Brussels.
However, when asked directly if he could end up recommending a British exit in a referendum, he said: “I believe Britain’s national interest lies in reforming the EU, holding a referendum about that reform in the EU and recommending that we stay in a reformed European Union.
“Has that got harder to achieve? Yes. Is it still the right thing to do? Yes. Will I give it absolutely everything I have got to achieve it? Yes, I will.”
Ed Miliband, the Labour leader, said on Friday that Mr Cameron had suffered “humiliation” in Europe. But Mr Cameron said he had taken a “principled” stand and “would do it all over again in pretty much the same way”.
The Prime Minister criticised the “cosy deals” done by European leaders including Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, who had privately backed him over his plans to stop Mr Juncker before switching her allegiance due to domestic political concerns.
“There’s a sense in this place that people say one thing and then they get in the cosy crowded room and they all just go along with the flow and appoint, to this job, the career insider in Brussels,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that while Europe had taken “one big step backwards” over Mr Juncker, Britain had “made some small steps forward”.
He claimed that the council had “broken new ground” in two areas during the discussions, including an agreement that “ever-closer union” allows for different paths of integration and respects the wishes of countries such as Britain that do not want a closer relationship.
However, Mrs Merkel appeared to offer Britain few concessions. She insisted that the status quo would remain in EU treaties but that, as is already the case, leaders would accept that Britain will reach “ever closer union” at a slower speed.
“It was made clear — yet again — that the idea of an ever closer union as it is stated in the treaties does not mean that there is equal speed among member countries,” she said. “There can be different speeds for member countries to come to ever closer union,” she said.
In a consolation prize for Mr Cameron, European leaders agreed that Britain would not be asked to transfer more sovereignty to Brussels.
However, they appeared to rule out Mr Cameron’s demand for powers to flow back to national capitals.
Mrs Merkel said she hoped that British voters would not choose to leave the EU. She said: “I have a great interest in Great Britain staying a member of the European Union. In this spirit I will continue to work.”
Mrs Merkel also denied that any “backroom deals” had been done over Mr Juncker’s nomination.
There are growing signs that in exchange for imposing Mr Juncker on Britain, Brussels may appoint Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the Danish prime minister and daughter-in-law of Lord Kinnock, to the post of president of the European Council.
Miss Thorning-Schmidt is considered to be a reformist candidate and would be welcomed by Mr Cameron.
The Conservative leader said she “has a good understanding about some of the things that need to change in Europe”.
However, he said that he was reluctant to endorse her because he does not want to “blight anyone’s chances by recommending them for such an important position”.
Over a tense lunch on Friday, Mr Cameron warned EU leaders that they “could live to regret” the decision to allow Mr Juncker to be appointed.
He was supported only by Hungary when he forced the issue to an unprecedented vote. Downing Street said Mr Cameron wanted to make EU leaders “put their support for Mr Juncker on the record”.
Mr Cameron tried to defend the principle that candidates for the EU’s top jobs should in future be picked by national leaders meeting in the European Council and not by political groupings in the European Parliament.
Mr Juncker’s claim on the presidency rests on his position as the chosen candidate of the European People’s Party, which emerged as the largest grouping of MEPs after last month’s elections.
EU leaders have agreed to review the process for presidency elections, Mr Cameron said. His stand was welcomed by Eurosceptic Conservative MPs.
Bernard Jenkin, the Conservative MP for Harwich and North Essex, said Mr Juncker’s appointment was the “tip of a very large federalist iceberg” and suggested that it could lead to Britain pulling out of the EU.
John Redwood, a former Conservative Cabinet minister, said Mr Cameron’s battle was a sign that Europe was not willing to change or reform.
“If the rest of the EU continues to be so unsympathetic to UK requirements, more UK voters will draw their own conclusions about the desirability of our continued membership,” he said.
Alistair Burt, a former Foreign Office minister, said Mr Cameron’s position would leave him in a stronger position during future negotiations with Brussels.
“The Prime Minister is right,” he said. “He is clearly marking out a position that says that when he believes something he sticks to it.”
However, John Baron, the Tory MP for Basildon and Billericay, criticised Mr Cameron’s attacks on Mr Juncker.
“Having played the man, we now need to play the ball,” he said. “We need greater clarity regarding our reform agenda to better form alliances across the EU and convince a sceptical public at home that we are serious about reform.”
Nigel Farage, the UK Independence Party leader, said it was “game, set and match to Brussels”.
“David Cameron thought he could put together a coalition of countries to form a blocking minority,” he said. “His judgment has been woeful.”
Senior Tories said Mr Farage’s comments were a sign that Ukip felt threatened by Mr Cameron’s increasingly tough stance towards the EU.
The European Parliament will vote to confirm Mr Juncker on July 16. European leaders will meet the same evening.
It will be the first encounter between Mr Cameron and Mr Juncker since the Prime Minister campaigned to block his candidacy.
Mr Cameron insisted that he would work with Mr Juncker despite opposing his appointment.
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