European Commission vice-president Frans Timmermans, candidate of the Party of European Socialists (PES), speaks at the Plenary Hall during the election night for European elections at the European Parliament in Brussels, Belgium, May 27, 2019. REUTERS/Francois Lenoir

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The center-left candidate to head the next European Union’s executive on Sunday ruled out building a coalition with far-right forces, calling for a “progressive” majority in the next European Parliament.

“My offer is on the table: let’s sit together, the progressive forces in this parliament, let’s try and find a program for the next five years that will prepare Europe for the 30 years to come,” said Frans Timmermans.

He said the “Game of Thrones”, or a contest to fill five top EU jobs for the next five years, should only come later and be based on such a program.