The move came despite strong opposition from Britain. David Cameron has failed in his attempt to block the nomination of arch-federalist Jean-Claude Juncker as the next president of the European Commission
PM’s bid to block Jean-Claude Juncker has ended in defeat after the arch-federalist was nominated as the next president of the European Commission.
Mr Juncker was confirmed as the official nominee at the end of a tense lunch in Brussels during which Mr Cameron told EU leaders they could “live to regret” their decision.
"This is a sad day for Europe," Mr Cameron is understood to have told his counterparts.
Herman Van Rompuy, the current president, said: “Decision made. The European Council proposes Jean-Claude Juncker as the next President of the European Commission.”
The Prime Minister has warned European leaders including Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, that it could push Britain towards EU exit.
Mr Cameron forced a vote on the issue and lost 26-2, with only Hungary supporting him.
The vote represented a departure from the decades-old tradition that Commission presidents are chosen by a consensus of national heads of government.
The PM insisted on a vote being taken and formally minuted, in order to force fellow leaders to put their cards on the table and have their support for the controversial Luxembourger recorded.
In an address to his continental counterparts moments before the vote, Mr Cameron warned that the installation of the long-time Brussels insider at the head of the Commission - which has powers to initiate legislation affecting all EU states and police the single market - would be "a sad moment for Europe".
He warned it would have an impact on the debate in Britain over the UK's future in Europe, leaving no doubt he believes it will make voters more likely to opt to quit the EU in the referendum he intends to call in 2017.
Mr Cameron has argued over recent weeks that Mr Juncker is "the wrong person" to lead the Commission, and told the 27 other leaders he was "disappointed" they had reached the point where he was set to take up the post without securing the unanimous support of all EU states.
Backing the candidate put forward by the largest political grouping in the European Parliament risked setting a precedent under which the EU's top job could in future be in the hands of MEPs making backroom deals, rather than democratically-elected national leaders, he warned.
As he awaited the vote after making his plea, Mr Cameron sent a message on Twitter saying: "I've told EU leaders they could live to regret the new process for choosing the Commission President. I'll always stand up for UK interests."
In his address over lunch in Brussels, Mr Cameron told his fellow leaders that the approach they were taking was "wrong for Britain and wrong for Europe".
He rejected the argument that Mr Juncker's candidacy had been endorsed by voters in last month's European elections, from which his EPP emerged as the single biggest grouping.
Voters across the continent had in fact expressed a desire for the kind of reform which was unlikely to be delivered by the "ultimate Brussels insider who has been at the table for the last two decades", he said, according to officials.
In a warning to leaders who have lined up behind Mr Juncker, despite reportedly expressing reservations about him in private, Mr Cameron said they risked putting themselves in a position where they are forced to accept future candidates whose views on fundamental issues, like economic stability or relations with Russia, conflict with their own.
And he said that countries should think carefully before departing from the "gentleman's agreement" under which key decisions have previously been made unanimously, as it might result in their concerns being overridden in future debates.
Setting out his objections to the Luxembourger's candidacy earlier today, Mr Cameron said: "Jean-Claude Juncker has been at the heart of the project to increase the power of Brussels and reduce the power of nation states for his entire working life. He is not the right person to take this organisation forward.
"So I'm very clear about the right thing to do. I know the odds are stacked against me, but that doesn't mean you change your mind - it means you stand up for what you believe and you vote accordingly."
One UK official insisted Mr Cameron had put down a marker ahead of the renegotiation of the UK's relations with the EU which he plans ahead of the 2017 referendum if Tories win next year's general election.
"Nobody will leave today unsure that when the Prime Minister says something he means it and when he says something is a principle he sticks to it," said the official.
"People need to understand that. Will they have grasped that from today? I suspect they will have done."
Finland's prime minister Alexander Stubb said British voters should recognise the benefits of EU membership.
"I think in the UK some people really seriously need to wake up and smell the coffee," said Mr Stubb. "The EU is a very good thing for the UK. Over 50 per cent of the trade of the UK goes to the EU."
Swedish prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said Mr Cameron should take consolation in the strategic agenda being agreed for the EU for the next five years, which is intended to put the continent on the path of reform, free trade and competitiveness.
"The programme in itself is more important than the persons elected," said Mr Reinfeldt.
German chancellor Angela Merkel, who threw her weight behind Mr Juncker after reportedly assuring Mr Cameron in private that he would not get the job, appeared to offer an olive branch to Britain, saying there was room for a "good compromise for the UK".
But in 10-minute bilateral talks with her at the summit venue, Mr Cameron made clear he would not enter into negotiations to secure other British priorities in return for acquiescence in Mr Juncker's nomination.
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