BBC’s Europe Correspondent Katya Adler gave the advice after the decision of EU leaders to select German politician Ursula von der Leyen for the nomination to become the next President of the European Commission. Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Dr Adler said: “I think the fact that it took the country so long to come to a decision. The fact that Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron together came up with a solution at the G20 in Osaka, which was rejected by the rest, shows you that Germany and France still have power but they are no longer all powerful.

Perhaps not to put all his eggs in the French and German basket because there are other big players

BBC News’ Katya Adler

“Angela Merkel has one foot out of the political door. The fact that Emmanuel Macron is not that transforming force and influence in the EU, that he really hoped to be. So there are different powers.

“So that is something for our next Prime Minister to consider if he wants to push, demand or cajole for changes in the Brexit withdrawal agreement.

“Perhaps not to put all his eggs in the French and German basket because there are other big players these days too.”

Ms von der Leyen is currently Germany’s defence minister and a member of Angela Merkel’s centre-right party.

She will become the next European Commission President if the European Parliament approves her appointment.

The appointment of Ms von der Leyen, who has previously advocated a European army, was approved by key European leaders.

These included Ms Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Theresa May was also present for the negotiations, which lasted seven hours on Tuesday.

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Mr Macron is believed to have backed the appointment as part of a deal that will see his compatriot Christine Lagarde, who currently runs the International Monetary Fund, appointed as President of the European Parliament.

But EU leaders have been accused of ignoring democracy by facilitating a deal for the bloc’s top jobs package in Brussels on Tuesday afternoon.

Much of the criticism centred around the abandonment of the so-called lead candidate (spitzenkandidat) process, which is designed to give a democratic mandate to the Commission presidency.

Instead, EU leaders held a series of meetings across three days as they scrambled to fill Mr Juncker’s role while also appeasing the member states.

MEPs are expected to vote on Ms von der Leyen’s appointment in two weeks time.

She requires an absolute majority, according to the Parliament’s rules, and if she fails EU leaders must propose another candidate “within a month’s time”.

The Socialists and Democrats have vowed to vote against the package after their Commission presidency candidate Frans Timmermans was rejected.

The S&D’s Spanish leader, Iratxe Garcia, said: “Ursula von der Leyen is unacceptable as head of the EU Commission for social democrats.

“We cannot simply throw the top candidate principle overboard because the results of the election do not sure some heads of government.”

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