Jean-Claude Juncker gave a final news briefing before he is set to hand over power to his successor Ursula von der Leyen next week.[ Ссылка ] "It's the last time I have the pleasure and the honour to address this forum," the Commission president said as he spoke about the role of the press in Europe.
Long live Europe! Lang lebe Europa! Vive l’Europe!
Juncker bids adieu, saying ‘I’m hungry’. At final midday news conference, outgoing Commission president says he has ‘shed a lot of tears’ but leaves ‘with elements of satisfaction.

- Juncker regrets the lead candidate system was not respected in farewell. The Spitzenkandidaten system that landed him the top job in 2014 was not upheld this time.

- The outgoing European Commission president joked about the Prime Minister’s interest in “the curvature of cucumbers” in his previous career as a Brussels-based journalist.
Jean-Claude Juncker leaves EU before UK BREXIT.

Before taking over the EU executive, Juncker had been the prime minister of Luxembourg for 18 years and chaired the Eurogroup for almost a decade.

At his last press conference as Commission chief, Juncker did not go through his achievements and failures, as he had done so several times in the past few months – after his last summit in October and then again before the European Parliament.

He acknowledged having regrets about avoiding the press as the LuxLeak scandal erupted and being silent during the referendum campaign in the UK that led to Brexit.

He also considered the lack of progress in the reunification of Cyprus or in the completion of the Economic and Monetary Union as failures. The mismanagement of the migration crisis is another black spot in his record.#eudebates

Participation of Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the EC, at the last Midday Briefing of the Juncker Commission.

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