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In a statement agreed at the first meeting of party leaders in the new legislature, the Parliament's conference of presidents said it wanted the Council of national governments to respect the so-called "Spitzenkandidat" process by which a lead candidate from a parliamentary party should run the Commission.
The statement said it was "reconfirming our resolve for the lead candidate process so that the next Commission president has made her/his program and personality known prior to the elections, and engaged in a European-wide campaign."