Preventing another Spitzenkandidaten hangover

Five years ago, Frans Timmermans of the S&D fought Manfred Weber of the EPP as 'Spitzenkandidaten' - neither of them got it, instead Ursula von der Leyen, who wasn't even running, was appointed (Photo: European Parliament)
Preventing another Spitzenkandidaten hangover
EU Political
EU Elections
Opinion
by Ben Crum, Amsterdam, 
In the run-up to the European Parliament elections in June, we now have as many interpretations of the Spitzenkandidaten as we have European political parties. 
The radical right ID-group has volunteered a 
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EU PoliticalEU ElectionsOpinion
DisclaimerThe views expressed in this opinion piece are the author’s, not those of EUobserverAuthor BioBen Crum is a professor of political science at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
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Five years ago, Frans Timmermans of the S&D fought Manfred Weber of the EPP as 'Spitzenkandidaten' - neither of them got it, instead Ursula von der Leyen, who wasn't even running, was appointed (Photo: European Parliament)