European parliament debate without Tsipras

Jean-Claude Juncker (European People’s Party), Martin Schulz (Party of European Socialists), Guy Verhofstadt (Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party) and Ska Keller (European Green Party) will answer questions on the economy, the future of the EU, the rise in skepticism of the EU project, immigration and European foreign policy during a 90-minute discussion.

The event will be held in Maastricht in the Netherlands in partnership with the European Youth Forum and the University of Maastricht and will be televised by Euronews at 8 p.m. local time. This is intended to introduce voters to the two frontrunners whose parties are neck-and-neck in the polls. There will be further debates on May 9 and May 15.

Mr Schulz has said he wants to be the “first president of the commission who is not the result of a backroom deal in a Brussels office but the result of a democratic vote”. The 27 commissioners will, however, still be chosen by intrastate haggling.

If the centre left triumphs in the elections, Mr Schulz would be likely to meet some of his sternest opposition from the UK, where even the Labour party opposes him. On the centre right, Angela Merkel, Germany’s chancellor, has backed Mr Juncker, but people in Brussels argue that the conservatives are considering a deal in which he will forgo the commission to become head of the council.

Dark horse candidates in the race to succeed Mr Barroso include Pascal Lamy, former head of the World Trade Organisation, and Christine Lagarde, managing director of the International Monetary Fund.

SYRIZA said that Tsipras was informed of the event too late for him to change plans to tour European cities. However, the leftists said that Tsipras will take part in a televised debate due to be held in the European Parliament on May 15. SYRIZA president was in Portugal on Sunday, where he told an audience that Europe faced a choice between “the left or [Angela] Merkel”.