Brussels 23.05.2024 Today the Eurovision debate between the lead candidates for the Commission presidency has taken place in the European Parliament, Brussels.

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU), which is organising the debate, has hosted Walter Baier (Austria, European Left), Sandro Gozi (Italy, Renew Europe Now), Ursula von der Leyen – incumbent president of the EU Commission (Germany, European People’s Party), Terry Reintke (Germany, European Greens) and Nicolas Schmit (Luxembourg, Party of European Socialists).

These five candidates debated the following topics: Economy and Jobs; Defence and Security; Climate and Environment, Democracy and Leadership; Migration and Borders; Innovation and Technology.

As previously in 2014 and 2019, the Eurovision Debate remains a forum for lead candidates for the position of European Commission President. The EBU’s agreement with the European Parliament is to produce a debate ahead of the EU elections, which will define the leading party to present a candidate for the position of the EU top executive.

In coordination with the European Parliament, the EBU invited political parties in the European Parliament to nominate one Lead Candidate from each of the 7 official political groups, namely: Group of the European People’s Party (Christian Democrats); Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament; Renew Europe Group; Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance; European Conservatives and Reformists Group; Identity and Democracy Group; The Left group in the European Parliament – GUE/NGL.
Invitations were sent to representative parties from the above listed political groups in the European Parliament. Five parties responded and have nominated a lead candidate. Two parties, the ECR and ID, declined to nominate a lead candidate and have therefore made themselves ineligible for this particular debate.