Denmark’s Vestager to run for European Commission head

Copenhagen, March 21

EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager on Thursday announced her candidacy to be the next head of the European Commission, in an interview with a Danish newspaper.

“I’m in,” she told the daily Politiken, Denmark’s newspaper of record, in reference to a bid to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker.

The European parliament’s liberal group ALDE is expected to announce later Thursday its team to lead the campaign for the European elections in May with Vestager in line to be its candidate for European Commission president.

“Up until the elections, I will take part (in the debate) by recalling what we have accomplished in the past five years,” Vestager told Politiken.

Denmark however has not confirmed that she will be a candidate for a commission post.

Vestager, 50, was a minister in the Danish government before taking up her current post in 2014.

Her tough stance towards US firms earned her the ire of President Donald Trump, who has labelled her the “tax lady”. — AFP