Manfred Who? The little-known EU kingmaker

Buttoned-up and with a taste for political intrigue, Manfred Weber, pictured, has quietly emerged as one of the most powerful men on the European political stage.

The German politician has long headed the centre-right European People's Party, the largest political group in the EU - despite being largely unknown to the general public.

Not so within the corridors of the European Parliament, where even rivals who accuse him of flirting dangerously with the far right acknowledge he is now the "kingmaker".

That's only to be expected since he has "the chance to be today" the president of the biggest party in Europe, Weber shrugged matter-of-factly in an interview.