Swedish, German Leaders Offer Support To Cameron, After Vote Defeat Against The New Leader Of European Commission

Swedish and German political leaders have offered their support to British Prime Minister David Cameron, following his failed bid to become to block the new president of the European Commission, or EC, as British leaders mandated a vote to block the selection of Jean-Claude Juncker for the post.

In the voting Friday, 26 leaders voted for Juncker to be the new president of the EC while two voted for others, the BBC reported. Cameron said after the vote that he will not “back down” and will keep fighting to reform the European Union, or EU, and shift the center of power from Brussels.

“We need to make sure we find a lot of common territory when it comes to the content of the agenda, and that's where we can find a good compromise with the UK. We can give something back to the UK. We've always talked about working in a European spirit and I think that will help us find a solution,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel, said according to the Telegraph, adding that they are ready to address the UK's concerns.

After the vote, Cameron said, according to the BBC, “It risks undermining the position of national governments, it risks undermining the power of national parliaments and it hands new power to the European Parliament."

Merkel reportedly said that there will be a review about how the new president was selected for the post and she seconded Britain’s conception of how the EU should be, despite voting for Juncker, the BBC reported.

While reports suggest that Juncker’s appointment will lead to a closer union and the exit of UK from the EU, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt added that the idea to have a closer union should not be applied to all member states.

“Just look into what we have written in our conclusions," Reinfeldt said, according to the BBC, referring to a document issued by EU leaders. "You will find references with text, which I think is very important for David Cameron, saying this ever-closer union perception is maybe not the best for everyone."