Spitzenkandidat

[1] This process was first followed in 2014, though its legitimacy was contested by some of the members of the European Council (with the UK and Hungarian Prime Ministers voting against the nomination of the EPP's Spitzenkandidat Jean-Claude Juncker).

[2] The approach of national governments was traditionally to appoint the various high-profile jobs in EU institutions (European Council president, High Representative and so on) dividing them accordingly along geographic, political and gender lines.

This sometimes led to fairly low-profile figures, avoiding candidates who had either made enemies of some national governments or who were seen as potentially challenging the council or certain member states.

The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists did not name a candidate, objecting to the principle of Spitzenkandidaten and its "tenuous" basis in law.

European political parties again put forward their candidates for Commission President ahead of the elections and debates were held among them.

Other parties also put forward candidates, including the Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists who had declined to do so in the previous elections.

The apparent failure of the system in 2019 led some to believe a similar situation could lead its abandonment,[8][9][10] although this ultimately did not occur as the majority of parties[11][12][13][14] (excepting ECR and ID) nominated a Spitzenkandidat.

Nominations included Ursula von der Leyen (EPP), Nicolas Schmit (S&D), Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann (Renew), Terry Reintke (Greens/EFA), and Walter Baier (The Left).

The election saw a surge in support for the far-right, with the AP reporting that 25% of MEPs belonged to hard-right parties, at the cost of centrist groups.