White HouseofficialshavesaidtheprocessofnominatingJusticeJohnPaulStevens's replacementwilltakeseveralweeks, with an announcementofacandidatepossibleinlate May.
The new draft EU constitution does introduce some linkage between the European election and the make-up of the commission, by proposing that the Council of Ministers should "take into account" the election result when nominating a candidate for the commission presidency.