The leading candidates for the presidency of the European Commission will debate in Brussels

This article was originally published in English

The stage is set for the big debate on the European elections. The main candidates, or spitzenkandidaten, will compare their ideas on the future of Europe and the policies to be pursued, during a debate organized by Eurovision.

Euronews will broadcast the debate live on Thursday May 23 at 3 p.m. Five of the main candidates for the presidency of the European Commission will participate, a choice which, although in the hands of EU prime ministers and presidents, takes into account the outcome of the European elections.

The favorite for this post is the current president of the European Commission, the German Ursula von der Leyen, member of the European People’s Party. Also present will be the current European Commissioner for Employment and Social Rights, Nicolas Schmit of the Social Democratic Party, Sandro Gozi, MEP of Renew Europe, Terry Reintke, MEP and co-president of the Greens group, and Walter Baier, president of the European Left.

In the hemicycle, transformed for the occasion into a television studio, 900 people will be present: “The idea is that candidates have the opportunity to share with the public their ideas and solutions on the key issues surrounding them: climate change, jobs and the economy, migration, etc.“, explains one of the presenters of the debate, the Belgian journalist Annelies Beck.

His colleague and presenter, Czech journalist Martin Řezezníček, explains that the debate is “by Europeans for Europeans“.”

This is why questions will be asked by citizens via social networks or by young people who are voting for the first time. Europeans should have their say in this debate“, he added.

Additionally, candidates will face a three-minute one-on-one interview to learn about their policies in detail.

Discontent among different political groups

No representatives from the far-right Identity and Democracy party or the European Conservatives and Reformists will take part in the debate. The candidate of the European Free Alliance, Maylis Roßberg, will also be absent.

Regarding the first two parties, the EBU said in a statement “that they have refused to nominate a lead candidate and are therefore unable to participate in this debate”.

But one of the ID MEPs thinks there is a political motivation behind all this: “I see this more as political censorship aimed at excluding 20 to 25% of the European electorate.”says Anders Vistisen.

“In these elections, no party follows all the rules of the main candidates”he added.

In the case of the FTA, the EBU claims that each group represented in the European Parliament was invited to propose a lead candidate and that it was the parties in these groups who chose the lead candidate.

For the Greens/European Free Alliance group, the proposed lead candidate was Terry Reintke of the European Greens party, the EBU told Euronews.