David Cameron calls to congratulate Juncker, the EU president he didn’t want

British Prime Minister David Cameron has called Jean-Claude Juncker to congratulate the man he tried to block from becoming president of the European Commission.

Cameron's failure to prevent Juncker getting the job after a bitter campaign was seen as a blow to the premier that could increase the likelihood of Britain leaving the European Union.

A spokesman for the prime minister said Cameron had phoned Juncker on Sunday to congratulate him on his successful campaign, and on securing the nomination.

"They discussed how they would work together to make the EU more competitive and more flexible," the Downing Street spokesman said.

"The PM welcomed Mr Juncker's commitment of finding a fair deal for Britain and Mr Juncker said that he was fully committed to finding solutions for the political concerns of the UK."

Juncker, a former Luxembourg prime minister, was nominated to take the EU's top job on Friday.