Philippe Lamberts, leader of the Greens | Bruno Fahi/AFP via Getty Images Liberals and Socialists will not back Weber ‘For now there is no majority for Weber’s candidacy,’ says Renew Europe chief.

The Socialist and Liberal groups in the European Parliament will not back conservative Manfred Weber for Commission president, parliamentary leaders said Thursday.

The decision effectively gives the European Council the blessing of two of the largest groups in the European Parliament to kill the Spitzenkandidat or lead candidate system.

Weber, a German MEP, is the nominee from the center-right European People’s Party.

But ahead of a summit in Brussels at which EU leaders will discuss how to fill all of the bloc’s top jobs, Weber’s parliamentary colleagues informed him that he would not have the support of their groups.

"The liberal and social democratic group heads formally told the EPP leader Manfred Weber that he will not get their votes,” the Greens leader, Philippe Lamberts, said at a news conference.

The Greens have yet to make a decision on Weber, Lamberts said.

"We need to find agreement on a program, " he said. "Do we have it? Not yet. We don't exclude anyone."

Dacian Cioloș, the leader of the liberal Renew Europe group in Parliament, confirmed that Weber does not have the backing of his rivals.

“For now there is no majority for Weber’s candidacy,” Cioloș said, arriving at a pre-summit meeting of liberal leaders at the Egmont Palace in Brussels.

Cioloș said the Liberals are still supporting European Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager.

Without the backing of the Socialists and Liberals, it would be impossible for Weber to win a confirmation vote in Parliament without turning to the far right for support. That said, it’s a theoretical point because Council leaders already skeptical of the lead candidate system are not willing to nominate Weber.

An official close to the parliamentary negotiations confirmed that the two groups had a discussion with Weber on Thursday morning.

“The conclusion is that there is no majority to support Weber for the position of president of the Commission,” the official said. “The two groups will continue the work on the Strategic Platform and continue the good cooperation with Manfred Weber as the head of the EPP group.”

CORRECTION: This article has been amended to make clear the Greens' position.