This declaration of independence was the fruit of the political instincts and legal expertise of two Germans: Klaus Welle, secretary general of the European Parliament, who pushed the idea of Spitzenkandidaten (“top candidates”) in the last European elections; and Martin Selmayr, Juncker’s formidable chief of staff.
These Germans do not take their orders from Berlin. Selmayr was openly cursed by Wolfgang Schäuble last year for what the German finance minister clearly saw as interfering in the Greek debt negotiations.(…)
However, the incident demonstrated beyond any doubt where the loyalities of the Germans working for the EU lie: not with Berlin, but Brussels.