With the European elections behind us,... it's time for the powerplayers to start deciding who will be the next leader of the European Commission.<br />For more on this and other news around the world, let's turn to our Hong Yoo…<br />So Yoo, EU leaders have gathered in Brussels for an EU summit... have they been discussing who will take one of Europe's most powerful political positions?<br /><br />Well Mark, regarding the leaders' preferences for the top EU position, there is no clear front runner.<br />Whoever gets the position is considered the leader of the EU because the European Commission is the executive arm of the 28-nation bloc.<br />EU leaders can propose candidates and for a candidate to get the nod, a majority of the 751 members of European Parliament have to approve the choice when it assumes power in July.<br />The president of the European Commission has the power to propose EU laws and enforce them.<br />Let's take a look at who they think should replace Jean-Claude Juncker:<br /><br />Emmanuel MACRON, French President<br />"Mr. Barnier, Mr. Timmermans and many others, have these competencies. But I don't want to have a debate on names. I want to have a debate on projects, on priorities and on criteria."<br /><br />GERMAN CHANCELLOR, ANGELA MERKEL<br />"Naturally, coming from a grand coalition, I support and am in favour of Manfred Weber, but not all parties do. But despite this, the 'Spitzenkandidat' is very important."<br /><br />Preferences are even more splintered this year as the European Parliament is fragmented with two major centrist blocs losing their majority and nationalists and Greens picking up their seats.<br />The conditions are expected to negotiations to pick a consensus nominee for president of the commission more difficult.<br />The new commission president will take office on November 1st along with the new European Council President, European Central Bank President and EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs. <br />
