Merkel reiterates support for Juncker to take top EU job

Reuters
German Chancellor Angela Merkel, leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Jean-Claude Juncker, former prime minister of Luxembourg and top candidate of European People's Party for European parliamentary elections, attend the CDU congress in Berlin April 5, 2014. REUTERS/Stefanie Loos

HARPSUND Sweden (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel restated her support on Tuesday for Jean-Claude Juncker to become president of the European Commission after meeting EU leaders critical of the Luxembourgian, but said the issue was not central to talks. "We have all said that staff decisions were not central to our discussions here but that we want to do what has been done so little so far: discuss content, which is important for the citizens," Merkel said during a news conference. "But ... I have said that for me Jean-Claude Juncker is the candidate for the office of Commission president and that I want to have him as the Commission president. That's what I said in Germany and I'll say that here but it wasn't our main topic." Merkel was meeting Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, Dutch premier Mark Rutte and British Prime Minister David Cameron, a staunch opponent of Juncker becoming Commission president. (Writing by Annika Breidthardt in Berlin; Editing by Madeline Chambers)