by Betul Yuruk
ANKARA
The European Parliament election results reflect the frustration of voters, Austrian president of the Federal Council told the Anadolu Agency Tuesday.
Michael Lampel declared that "the EU failed to tell people about the good work it has done or to market itself well. That's why the people threatened governments by exercising their democratic rights in the polls," and he added "that's what happened in Austria," when the right-wing Freedom Party came in third, with almost 20 percent of the vote.
The center-right European People's Party (EPP) emerged as the strongest political force in the European Parliament elections held on 22-25 May, winning 28.50 percent of the vote with 214 of the 751 seats.
Lampel said that Jean-Claude Juncker, the former prime minister of Luxembourg, who has now been elected by the EPP to be its European Commission candidate for president won a sweeping victory and added, "We need to respect the decisive election results."
However, both France and the U.K. strongly object to Jean-Claude Juncker becoming the next president of the European Commission - the union's executive body.
British PM David Cameron threatened to go ahead with a referendum to pull the U.K. out of the bloc if Juncker becomes the president.
"This is the U.K.'s problem...Such discussions will damage the EU and the election results need to be respected," Lampel said.
On the other hand, German Chancellor Angela Merkel has given her support for conservative Juncker.
Merkel’s conservative bloc, comprising of Christian Democratic Union and the Christian Social Union is among the leading members of the EPP - an umbrella political party of the European center-right parties and conservatives.
The European Commission president is selected by EU leaders but must be approved by a majority in the parliament.
www.aa.com.tr/en
