Leaders of European countries gathered in Brussels to identify candidates for top positions in the EU leadership after the elections to the European Parliament last week. The two largest EU countries - Germany and France - disagreed about who should lead the European Commission, the highest executive body of the union of 28 European countries, Voice of America reported.

Powers of the current President of the European Commission, the representative of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, expire in October. The new composition of the European Parliament, which will begin work in July, will have to approve the candidature of the new president.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel has supported his compatriot Manfred Weber, who has led the Conservative European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament since 2014.

French President Emmanuel Macron, in an interview with journalists, said that he supported the candidate with experience either in his country or in Europe, which allows the candidate to gain trust and possess knowledge of social norms of behavior.

Macron offered two alternative candidates at once - Danish Margrethe Vestager, European Competition Commissioner since 2014, and Frenchman Michel Barnier, who led the unsuccessful talks between Brussels and UK on Brexit.