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| Jean-Claude Juncker |
Among EU government leaders only the UK and Hungarian prime ministers voted against him at an EU summit on 27 June.
Crucially Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel backed his bid -
after some hesitation - as did the centre-left leaders of France and
Italy.
There are many voices in the European Parliament too who
argue that Mr Juncker should get the job. The parliament believes the
choice of European Commission president now has to reflect the election
result.
Yet he is a controversial figure in the EU, as a leading advocate of deeper EU integration, and is often called a "federalist"
.
A veteran of Brussels deal-making, he headed the powerful
Eurogroup - the eurozone finance ministers - at the height of the
eurozone crisis, when crucial decisions were taken about austerity and
bailout conditions.
He was prime minister of Luxembourg from 1995 to 2013 and one of the architects of the euro.
But according to Pierre Leyers, financial editor of the daily
Luxemburger Wort, it is misleading to call him a "federalist". "He
wants deeper integration, but not a European superstate," he told the
BBC.
Mr Leyers argues that coming from a tiny country has enhanced
Mr Juncker's influence in the EU, odd though that may seem to people
unfamiliar with Brussels politics.
Luxembourg was a founding member of the community which
became the EU and, sandwiched between France and Germany, "it had no
choice but to try to be on good terms with its neighbours", Mr Leyers
said.
"So some Luxembourg politicians were always good negotiators and
diplomats, to get France and Germany together."
The drive for post-war reconciliation shaped Mr Juncker's political views.
But some of his past remarks have raised eyebrows, suggesting a less than firm commitment to democracy.
Ahead of the French vote on the European Constitution in 2005
he said: "If it's a Yes, we will say 'on we go', and if it's a No we
will say 'we continue'"
.
And in 2011 he said "monetary policy is a serious issue - we
should discuss this in secret, in the Eurogroup... I am for secret, dark
debates".
His greatest EU challenge has been shoring up the eurozone
since the 2008 financial crash, when Greece's colossal debts, and those
of other struggling eurozone countries, threatened the very survival of
the single currency.
Mr Juncker is a strong advocate of a European "solidarity" union - an EU
that strives to raise living standards in its poorest regions and
sectors.
He has not explained how an EU-US free trade deal might impact on EU
social protection policies, which currently cost the EU many billions
through support for farmers and projects to help poor communities.
He claimed that such a deal would give each European an extra 545 euros (£443; $742) - an exaggeration, according to a
fact check by Eurovision, which hosted the debate.
He has also defended the Common Agricultural Policy, saying
agriculture employs about 30 million Europeans. But the UK government is
among the many critics who say the CAP is wasteful and want more of the
EU budget spent on digital technologies, research and investment in
small businesses.
Mats Persson, director of the Open Europe think-tank, says Mr
Juncker is associated with the EU of the 1980s and 1990s, echoing a
criticism attributed to UK Prime Minister David Cameron.
After an election that saw a surge in support for Eurosceptic
parties, that connection with past EU policies may be a disadvantage,
Mr Persson told the BBC, adding that Mr Juncker was "sidelined quite a
bit during the eurozone crisis" and "ran a vague election campaign".
However, Mr Juncker is not vague about the political risks of
taking tough economic decisions. He once said "we all know what to do,
we just don't know how to get re-elected after we've done it"
EU-Digest
