European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker told Germany's Funke Media Group on Saturday that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is "highly qualified" for a top European Union job.

Asked whether he could imagine her assuming an EU office after her term as chancellor ends in 2021, Juncker said he "could not imagine" Merkel "disappearing into thin air."

"She is not only a person of respect, but also a complete and endearing work of art," Juncker said.

Merkel steered the bloc through a period of economic crisis and political turbulence after becoming chancellor in 2005, earning her the reputation of being Europe's most powerful leader.

Upon announcing her intention to step down as leader of Germany's Christian Democratic Union (CDU), Merkel said she would not seek any other political offices after 2021. Her longtime ally Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer has succeeded her as party leader and is widely seen as a contender for the chancellorship.

Read more: Most Germans say Merkel should serve out her term

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The Partner If anyone can be called Merkel's political friend, it is French President Emmanuel Macron. Like Merkel, he is an advocate of a European solution to the migration problem. Like Merkel, he sees the issue as axiomatic to the EU's future existence. However, some in Germany believe Macron's support comes at a high price.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The sympathetic one The new Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, may have acted in the spirit of Merkel when he took in boats with African refugees after the Italian government had turned them away. Such humanity is rare at the moment, but the socialist has also said that his country needs assistance in coping with migration.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The Mediator The trading nation of the Netherlands is very interested in keeping the EU's internal borders open. On that issue, its prime minister, Mark Rutte, agrees with Merkel. On the other hand, the mood in the country is now more hostile to migrants. Rutter's fence-sitting strategy means he could take a mediating role.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The Tactician There is an ideological gulf between the Christian Democrat Merkel and leftist Greek leader Alexis Tsipras. Nevertheless, the prime minister is very much in favor of "European solidarity" in handling migration and also supports Merkel personally. Merkel has been more flexible in negotiating during the Greek debt crisis, and Tsipras may hope for further concessions on that front.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The Radical Danish Prime Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen may not look like a radical, but on migration matters he is. Hardly any EU government has pursued a policy of deterring asylum-seekers as strict as his. Earlier than others, Rasmussen also launched the idea of ​​establishing reception centers outside the EU. If a European solution were to look like that, he would be in favor.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The rival Although Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is polite with Merkel on a personal level, he makes no secret of his rejection of her liberal refugee policy. But he gets on swimmingly with Merkel's domestic opponents on migration, from Health Minister Jens Spahn to CSU Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and Bavaria's Premier Markus Söder.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The hounded one Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte is one of the biggest obstacles for Merkel. Dependant for his political survival on the xenophobic Lega party, a coalition partner, Conte is on the backfoot over migration. The Lega's Matteo Salvini is interior minister, and his demand that Italy not take in any more refugees is becoming increasingly popular in Italy.

Merkel's friends and foes in the EU The indifferent one Few have criticized Merkel's policy of open borders as vehemently as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. For him, the crisis is Merkel's problem, not his. He did not even show up, like the other leaders of the Visegrad states Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Poland, at a meeting on Sunday with Merkel. They all reject any redistribution of refugees. Author: Christoph Hasselbach



Juncker's historic hope

Juncker will step down as the head of the EU's executive branch on October 31 after a single term in office.

The former prime minister of Luxembourg was appointed in 2014, after the European Parliament grouping that includes Merkel's conservatives (CDU/CSU) and the European People's Party (EPP) nominated him for the post and won the largest share of the vote in parliamentary elections.

Asked about what he would like historians to write about his presidency, Juncker said: "He tried his best ... Perhaps it would be nice to add that he put some things in order."

amp/kl (dpa, AFP)

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