DHAKA: German magazine Der Spiegel says British PM David Cameron warned that the UK could leave the EU if Luxembourg ex-PM Jean-Claude Juncker became president of the European Commission.

It reported Cameron as saying that the appointment could destabilise his government, which may bring forward referendum plans on EU membership.

Downing Street has not yet commented, reports the BBC.

Juncker’s European People’s Party won the largest number of seats in the European parliament in the May polls.

The centre-right party, which also includes German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, won 213 out of 751 seats in the Parliament and chose Juncker as its candidate for the presidency, succeeding Portugal’s Jose Manuel Barroso.

But David Cameron and several other European leaders have voiced opposition to his appointment, which has received the backing of Chancellor Merkel.

BDST: 1455 HRS, JUNE 01, 2014