Centre-right EPP candidate for the post of European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker will hold a press conference this morning to confirm his views late last night that with around 28 per cent of the vote and an estimated 212 MEPs, "it looks like" the EPP had won the elections by a "double digit" margin - a "clear victory".
Juncker has already warned EU national leaders that the results of the election "cannot be ignored" and that they must be "taken into account" by both parliament and council in the ongoing debate on the commission's top post.
The former Luxembourg prime minister said he was "sure" that parliament's candidate would become the next commission head.
"I want to be the next president but that does not mean I am not prepared to compromise" - Jean-Claude Juncker
"I will not be on my knees before the Socialists begging in front of those involved. But, even being number one after these elections, the EPP will have to compromise and 'broaden' discussions with other 'forces', including the Greens, whom I like, and Liberals." This though, he warned, did not extend to "extremists".
With Hungary believed to oppose his candidacy along with the British, he said, "I want to be the next president but that does not mean I am not prepared to compromise. I want to work with the Greens with whom I have many shared beliefs. But EU citizens have sent a clear message and the other parties have to stop giving the impression the result, a clear victory for the EPP, is less important than they would have you believe."
In response to a question that he would not stand for the commission job, he declared, "I will not stand aside for another EPP candidate."
"I am happy these elections have turned out as they have and that includes the turnout which has risen slightly even if it is not overwhelming."
Europe's socialist PES party will also hold a press conference this morning to set out its stall after their commission candidate, parliament president Martin Schulz, warned that it could be "several hours and days" before Europe's main political groups decide who their candidate will be for the commission presidency post.
"I feel fully entitled to become the next head of the commission and believe I have a real chance" - Martin Schulz
Schulz also said he hoped to speak with Juncker on Sunday night on who will emerge as the chosen candidate to succeed José Manuel Barroso. "I will be very interested to hear Mr Juncker's answers."
Parliament's political groups are due to meet on Tuesday on the commission presidency issue and Schulz said it was important that whoever is selected that the successful candidate was not the result of a "backroom deal".
On his own prospects, he said, "I feel fully entitled to become the next head of the commission and believe I have a real chance."
"We are prepared to negotiate, but it is too early to say who will form a majority in parliament or what the composition of it will be. We will have to wait for the final results. But whatever the outcome of our discussions in the coming hours and days, a majority in parliament will be impossible without the Socialist group."
The German deputy also condemned the success of Marine Le Pen's Front National in France and the success of other Eurosceptic parties in Europe, saying this was the result "not of hardcore extremists" in those countries but rather reflected a "total loss of trust and faith" by the public.
Failing to consider one of the candidates fielded by Europe's political parties for the presidency of the European Commission was "unthinkable," according to Belgian MEP Guy Verhostadt.
"Failure to [consider the commission presidency candidates] will mean that we have just been playing a little game these last few weeks" - Guy Verhofstadt
The ex-Belgian prime minister is himself a candidate for the ALDE group in the race to succeed José Manuel Barroso and he told a news conference in parliament on Sunday that whoever is chosen must come from the group of candidates nominated by political parties. "Failure to do that will mean that we have just been playing a little game these last few weeks," said Verhofstadt.
His comments were partly echoed by parliament's S&D group leader Hannes Swoboda, who appeared to concede that EPP candidate Jean-Claude Juncker had raced to the head of the queue for the commission post.
Political parties insist that member states must take account of the outcome of the elections in choosing the next president and, with the EPP predicted to enjoy a small majority, Juncker is the new favourite.