“Eurobureaucracy is trying to maintain its position”: how is the election of the head of the EC

The President of the European Council, Donald Tusk, said that the leaders of the EU countries could not approve the candidacy of the new EC leader at the June 20 summit.

“A full discussion was held in the European Council on the basis of my consultations and statements made in the European Parliament. Not a single candidate had a majority, ”the press service of the department he heads quotes Tusk.

It is also noted that the head of the EC will try to elect on June 30 at an extraordinary meeting.

Recall that last week, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said that he supported the candidacy of the head of the European People’s Party (EPP), Manfred Weber, as his successor.

“I want Manfred Weber to be the next head of the European Commission. I firmly believe that he will be a good chairman. The European People’s Party fully supports him, ”the EPP press service cites Yunker’s statement.

Brussels doesn’t have much time to choose a new head of the European Commission - Juncker’s powers will expire this fall. The procedure for electing the head of the European Commission involves two stages: first, the candidates are approved by the leaders of the EU countries (at least 21 of the 28 states must have a consolidated position), then deputies of the European Parliament vote (the candidate will take the post if the majority supports him - 376 out of 751 members ).

Brussels also needs to elect the heads of the EP, the European Council, the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and the President of the European Central Bank.

In the European Union, they argue long and bitterly about who will occupy the post of head of the EC, since the direction of EU economic activity and the course of Brussels as a whole will depend on the person in this position, says Vladimir Schweitzer, head of the department of social and political research at the Institute of Europe.

• European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker
• Reuters
• © Francois Lenoir

“The created uncertainty in the choice of the head of the EC is a problem of the whole European Union. Junker is an expert on financial issues, for this reason he was entrusted with the management of the key department of the association, while Weber does not have such experience. It is unlikely that he will be the head of the European Commission, and most likely another candidate for this post will be found in the EU, ”Schweitzer told RT.

According to him, “the confusion in the European Union” around the choice of the new head of the EC suggests that Brussels as a whole does not cope with its functions, and the union needs to be reformed.

“The current situation is a marker of the disunity within the EU. He does not have a candidate for this post, who would be supported by most of the leaders of the EU countries, ”said Schweitzer.

“Difficulties in electing a new leader”

The dispute over the appointment of the new head of the European Commission escalated after the European People's Party, headed by Manfred Weber, lost the majority in the elections, which did not fit the “proposed scenario”, analysts say.

Earlier, the head of the EC was chosen according to the principle of the “main candidate” (Spitzenkandidat) - this post was automatically held by the leader of the parliamentary majority. But now an additional process has been launched, which includes the approval of the candidate, first by the “qualifying majority” of the European Council, and then by the members of the EP. This was announced at the end of May by the chairman of the European Council, Donald Tusk.

“The European Council will fulfill its role in electing the chairman of the European Commission, that is, it will follow the (Maastricht) treaty, avoiding an automatic approach ... The treaty clearly states: the European Council must nominate, and the European Parliament must approve it by vote. Consequently, the future chairman of the EC needs to enlist the support of both a qualified majority in the European Council and the majority of members of the European Parliament, ”the European Council press service quotes Tusk as saying.

This innovation in the EU was evaluated in different ways. So, the chairman of the EP Antonio Tayani opposed the changes. In his opinion, the appointment of a new head of the European Commission should be carried out only according to the “main candidate” system, that is, solely on the basis of the results of parliamentary elections. He also noted that all factions of the European Parliament fully support this approach.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel also expressed her concern about the change in the procedure. Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron supported the President of the European Council, saying that the EU “needs the best,” reports the German newspaper Die Zeit.

The situation around the Spitzenkandidat system shows that the election mechanisms for leading positions in the EU are ineffective and not worked out, said Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of the Moscow State Pedagogical University.

“By changing the rules of the game, the European bureaucracy is trying to maintain the positions it is losing. In fact, it violated the established unwritten rule, since the European bureaucracy loses the majority. Now we are witnessing the process of avoiding traditional practices due to the changed political situation, ”the analyst emphasized in a conversation with RT.

• European Council President Donald Tusk
• Reuters
• © Francois Lenoir

However, the situation in the EU, according to Shapovalov, has worsened also because the current European bureaucracy has faced a serious problem - the recent elections to the EP have led to the defeat of the ruling coalition, center-right and center-left, focused on strengthening the positions of the union and developing Euro-Atlantic solidarity.

“Meanwhile, the positions of Euroskeptics and Greens have strengthened. In this regard, there were also difficulties in electing a new EC leader, ”explains the expert.

As Shapovalov notes, if events unfold in the same vein, it is likely that the European bureaucracy could lose control of the EP.

“In this case, the most terrible thing will happen for European officials is that people who come out for limiting the powers of EU institutions or for eliminating the union will come to power. To prevent this from happening, such political maneuvers are being undertaken, ”the expert said.

Clash of two trends

Emmanuel Macron also expressed his position on who should become the head of the EC at the last summit of the European Council. According to the French leader, if German Chancellor Angela Merkel nominated her candidacy for the post of head of the European Commission, he would support her, reports Reuters.

Recall, Merkel supported the candidacy of Weber to the presidency of the European Commission, while the French president opposed. He cast his vote in favor of Danish Margrethe Vestager - a candidate from the liberal alliance of ALDE, which includes the Macron party “Forward, Republic!”.

The head of the Socialists and the first deputy head of the European Commission, Dutchman Frans Timmermans, Acting Prime Minister of Belgium Charles Michel, and Brexit Chief Negotiator Michelle Barnier also claim the position of head of the European Commission.

As Vladimir Shapovalov notes, the words of the French leader demonstrate the “clash of two tendencies” in the EU - the desire of some political forces to see the EC as a strong and experienced political figure and the desire of others to appoint a more “fresh face” to this post.

“Macron’s statement about Merkel was not a coincidence, it sheds light on the internal processes that are underway in Brussels. In fact, in this way the French leader raises the question of whether the EC should be headed by a charismatic politician with a solid political background, including Angela Merkel, or a person who does not possess such characteristics, ”Shapovalov said.

In his opinion, the statement by Macron is politically motivated.

“The French leader is in favor of strengthening and centralizing EU institutions. It is possible that he himself sees himself as the future president of united Europe. Macron's words about supporting Merkel can be viewed as a desire to once again emphasize that the EU needs stronger figures and a greater concentration of power in the hands of the EC Chairman, ”said Shapovalov.

• French President Emmanuel Macron
• Reuters
• © Piroschka van de Wouw

At the same time, the expert calls the relations of the German Chancellor and the French President uneasy.

“They are superimposed on the internal rivalry of Paris and Berlin for leadership in the European Union. In addition, the young Macron, being still not a fully accomplished politician, envies Merkel, who has recognized authority and popularity, ”Shapovalov believes.

However, as noted by Vladimir Schweitzer, in Brussels one way or another they will be able to come to a compromise solution.

"Most likely, the EU will agree on the division of functions: Michelle Barnier can become the chairman of the EC, and the posts of key ministers will be occupied by representatives from the EPP, provided they come from different countries," the expert concluded.