Would sort of show the others that she is not pushing this german candidate that she sort of gives them you know gives them leave to make up their own minds and saying ok can we live with her would be like her in that job so it was probably a clever political move like everything she has done since yesterday sort of getting her into the mix and sort of pushing her very very noticeably she was sort of more and more mentioned more and more throughout the day in the ended up as the frontrunner so i think shes shes had a good political day in brussels today ok well the haggling is over for now and now its up to the European Parliament as you said barbara remind us again especially for people who are looking at this from beyond brussels why these jobs are really so important. These jobs are important because they determine the way you are go for the next 5 years questions like will the next you Commission President because that is the person who is responsible for the day to day workings and policies in europe. If its also from the line put climate at the center of her policies for instance where is she going to put. Her priorities and how is she going to go about it will she be able to maybe hell see some of the deep divisions that have and the rift that has sprung open between. Some Eastern European countries so many questions and she is the one sure really who really has to drag the European Commission follow it thats a big institution 30000 people so shes shes let the Defense Ministry for so long she she knows maybe how to do this in principle and shes also very emotional european she really wants this project europe so yes she might have a fair shot at getting it right and as we said barbara she would be the 1st woman in that job that is indeed something barbara will come back to a little bit later with more for more on the story. For her as a life on the line now has the backing of the new leaders to become the next european Commission President cares more about the conservative politician who could soon become the most powerful single individual in the e. U. Bureaucracy shes considered a close ally of german chancellor and going to america also that fundamental u. N. German defense minister Christian Conservative template ition. A medical doctor and mother of 700 lion joined america city you party in the ninetys she later headed to ministry of family and women before serving as minister of labor. As germanys 1st female defense minister funded lyon has aimed to revamp the countrys armed forces but recently she has to earn criticism for poor management in the ranks and several scandals including revelations of far right extremists in the German Military equipment failures and deadly military plane crashes have plagued her tenure. A european at heart fluent in both english and french fundamentally and has long been seen as a possible successor to america last chance at 0 or more recently after next secretary general of nato. But now it looks more like the belgian born politician maybe tough to head the e. U. Commission if so she would be different schoolman defensive players. Correspondent here in berlin Thomas Sperry joins us on the side thomas we just got a little window there into the left on the line is the current defense minister what do you find to be the most important points about that was that one of what we should know about her now that shes been nominated. You should certainly know that shes described as the only minister that has been with Angela Merkel since the beginning of Angela Merkels chancellor in 2005 holding different positions the latest of which is obviously the ministry of defense a very controversial position a very difficult position as well because of the criticism that the german army has faced about its readiness or about its capability you should also know that shes seen as a very close ally of someone who remained loyal even during anger merkels most difficult period in office probably the migration crisis you should also know that shes european at heart as barbara vessel just said someone who was born in belgium who grew up there as well who has defended the european project who has also mentioned the need for further integration for example in the defense and security area those are probably the key elements that you should know about. She may have the support sumi of european leaders but she doesnt have the support of the social democrats here in germany the social democrats as you know the Coalition Partner of Angela Merkels conservatives they have issued a statement saying that they dont believe on the lion is the correct candidate that there were other candidates funds to months who had actually been candidates who had stood up for election unlike fonda ally in the social democrats defending the streets and condy dalton princip principle and saying that they the reason why they dont support the line in that position so although she does have the support of the european leaders as we just saw they could also be some controversy here in germany as to that possible position for those of us on the line here thomas i saw a note from a Martin Shultz who used to be the head of the social democrats youre also president the European Parliament we should say saying that shes the the weakest member of chancellor merkels cabinet definitely against that choice but what would it mean for germany if funded one is indeed confirmed as the e. U. Commission the chief. 1st it would be a victory for Angela Merkel probably on the call barbara just said try to present that name step by step in a very typical fashion for Angela Merkel and that would be certainly an important position for a german to hold it is still remains its remains to be seen whether that will be something that in the long term other European Countries could support they has always or at least for a very long time. Where a nest of about of our german leadership in the European Union so thats an issue that on the one hand could be good for german leaders on the other on the long term could pose some problems and obviously it is something that in general for the German Government could be very interesting and important but again sumeet is important to stress that when you look at politics here in germany when you look at the grand coalition the grand coalition is now divided when it comes to this position of underline the current defense minister here in berlin its a difficult post defense minister thomas and we should say that the military is facing a host of challenges at the moment so if she were to be confirmed and go over to brussels who could possibly succeed her here thats looking forward of course but as defense minister. I dont think many names have been presented so far what we can say is that it would be an extremely difficult position were not talking only about long term problems in the borders there were also talking about recent problems in the in this there the fact that 2 euro fighter jets collided only a few days ago for example the fact that a helicopter also crashed the fact that they have been many question even in recent days about the state of germanys forces whoever inherits that position if indeed it was that a fun day line is confirmed for that post in europe would inherit a very difficult post and thats why probably some people do not agree with martin shorts a statement that you read just now and they are saying that shes probably the weakest member of germanys cabinet many people would argue to the contrary that she has one of the most difficult position in the German Cabinet and that given the circumstances she has done a good job its important to stress to me however that it is a controversial position there are those who support on the line who support what she has done so far as germanys defense minister there are those who are staunchly against who have criticized precisely for those failures that its important to still say she inherited but that according to many people she hasnt been able to completely solve thomas perhaps not an unimportant question we only heard the last one airlines name being bandied about in brussels earlier this afternoon has she herself said anything yet to this nomination. I havent heard anything so far from wars or from directly there are some planned events with her in the next few days so we will certainly have to hear from her in the coming hours if not in the coming days from now the main statement that we received just a few minutes ago as i said it was from the social democrats the partners in the grand coalition criticizing her position so those are funded and will not only have to deal with what european leaders have to say in brussels she will also probably have to deal with what other political leaders have to say here in germany all right thomas fair for us our Political Correspondent here in berlin thomas as always good to talk to you and lets go back to a basal in brussels whos been following all of this for us said barbara we heard donald tusk speak as we said a little while ago about this package of candidates that have now been selected take us through what happens next. Now what happens next is that parliament is coming together tomorrow and well be trying to elect a president either for a 5 year tour or for 2 and a half used twice as split the period and then we will have to go the mood we heard say that hes going to go there on thursday he will talk to parliament he will explain how this nomination of funding line and the whole package came together and he will plead for understanding telling them again that yes you had put up those 2 lead candidates and we tried them out and sorry to say but they both failed one of the conservative candidates failed because the french president among them across on was adamantly against them plus the spanish classes some other social democrat countries who said no way we want to change in this job and. The candidate of the social democrats the center left he failed because Eastern European countries docking themselves in is supported by italy in this case saying no way were never going to say yes to this man we dont want him and so there was there was a sort of standoff and way out had to be found and that was a 3rd person a woman in this in this case german again in this case and the conservative again so that satisfied size some but of course not the whole house because social democrats liberals greens in the European Parliament not be very happy about this what they call a will call in negation of the democratic process thats looking at the next steps barbara if we can look back for a moment remind us how we got here was just 6 weeks ago that there were parliamentary elections in europe that everyone was following very closely we saw a further fracturing of these center parties here in europe tell us how that is. A lot as to what we are now. I mean what we saw after those european elections are good things and bad things the good thing was certainly that participation voter turnout was much larger than we have seen in the past i mean it was unusual and people really went to the polls and said we want to sort of show that we care about europe thats the 1st time in many many years and decades really that has happened so thats on the good side also on the good side is that the europeans the populists and nationalists who are constant talk about they want to tear down europe and it shouldnt really exist anymore or should just exist as an Economic Union that they did by fire not grew as much as they had hoped for that they are they will be heard and seen in parliament they have a bloc of about 25 percent but they cannot dominate anything so the pro europeans are still dominating parliament bought on the negative side as you said it is of course that parliament is more split and more divided because we now need at least 3 big parties to form a majority and that is the sort of ending the cozy coolish in between center left center right that has sort of dominated parliament for decades so yes different times more Interesting Times maybe Interesting Times barber also plenty of divisions as you mention after these elections pulling all of that together if it was a left on the line is confirmed as the president of the European Commission tell of a difficult task to pull all of these different threads together what are people expecting from her. They are expecting more or less everything i mean if she leaves the Defense Ministry and roman which is a which is a bad job for anybody i mean its a job that just to survive it is already a feat and shes managed to do that at least even though she did as we heard to get a lot of prison criticism. Bought the she goes like from the hot pan into the fire ma last because as Commission President she really is responsible for everything in european day to day policies in the working of this huge machinery 30000 people i mean you really have to rule them you really have to sort of sexual priorities you have to sort of figure out whats the tone you set you have to figure out how much power do you really have with the outer limits of your power and you have to figure out how do you can you bridge some of those deep divisions are some countries maybe even really breaking away from the European Union and sort of going a different way will we see after breakfast for the splits and yes brecks it thats the 1st thing she will have to deal with this fall because the 31st of october when britain is officially leaving on the current deadline leaving the e. U. The new after midnight the new Commission President comes in and congratulations i mean that is a poison chalice among many other things she has to deal was and so it may be Boris Johnson as the next Prime Minister she will have at the table as so she really has her job cut out there is no