Estonia, UK spar over next EU president

Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Rõivas met with British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday (June 18) in London, to discuss the situation in Ukraine and other security issues, Postimees Online reports, 

Rõivas said that his and Cameron's opinions differ greatly as regards the next president of the European Commission. It's believed former Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker will be appointed to the post.

Cameron remains concerned about the undemocratic nature of the presidential elections process where a person can rise to the high EU official post whilst citizens of his state have not given their mandate.

"David Cameron's main concern was in regard to this process," said Mr Rõivas.

"If in the future some party should win elections in Europe, whose leading candidate is not suitable at all for the heads of governments, then we should not automatically elect him. Here quite a few European heads of government share the concern of his," 

Rõivas said that Estonia supports, despite British opposition, Juncker's candidacy. Juncker is also strongly supported by the German Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Latvian foreign ministry.

Rõivas said that despite the small differences, the important thing is that Great Britain and Estonia have the same understanding about the tasks that Europe faces.