Barroso: the candidate of all European parties
Article written by Joan Marc Simon, Secretary General of UEF
This is as confusing as it is absurd. In yesterday’s meeting the EPP leaders back Barroso for a second term as President of European Commission but still no party is behind Barroso's ambition to renew his mandate as President of the European Commission.
One could expect that if the leaders of a party back a candidate of the same party and nobody in the party opposes, this candidate would become THE candidate of THE party. Not in European politics.
Same as EPP, the European Socialist Party has no official candidate for President of the European Commission. When Rasmussen, PSE President, was asked about the PSE candidate in the presentation of the PSE manifesto he said that they hadn't decided on a candidate "yet". At the same time socialist prime ministers such as Zapatero, Socrates or Brown already openly expressed their support for Barroso. I guess it is easy to back a candidate when the contest is a false one...
Barroso, the President of what is to be the executive body of the EU, is backed by individuals. These individuals are not "normal" individuals; they are heads of state and heads of governments. However, what does it say about the future President of the European Commission and the Commission as a whole?
Source European Communities, 2009
Firstly, that the "European interest" can't be defended by a body whose president is held hostage by heads of state and governments. The role of defending the interest of the member-states was the role of the president of the European Council but it seems like the Commission is dangerously shifting towards the intergovernmentalist option.
Secondly, and as a consequence, no expectations about leadership or initiative should be put on a body elected without a political program and that is held hostage of the interest of the member-states.
Leadership is crucial in times of crisis and without a strong European Commission taking the initiative to regulate the financial markets, in raising resources for a economic relaunch, in investing in the infrastructure necessary to launch a new green economy the EU is doomed to fail to its citizens.
Leadership comes from personality but also from legitimacy and recognition. Why should the Europeans, even those who will to vote in the European Parliament elections, feel that Barroso is representing them? They will vote for a program that can't be implemented because Barroso's program is improvised in the heads of state meetings and not subjected to public scrutiny.
If the EPP happens to have the same political program as Barroso -which would make sense if he belongs to the party the leaders of which support him- why isn't Barroso the candidate of the EPP? Is the EPP scared that if they declare Barroso as their candidate the socialists might be forced to declare that Barroso is NOT their candidate?
By Barroso not being the candidate of any party... should we interpret that he is the "de-facto" candidate of all parties?
If so, we certainly live in a strange stage of European democracy.
This article can also be read on The New Federalist
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Comments
Yes, it is a sad state of affairs for EU citizens. Not only have the heads of state or government decided to select the President of the European Council and the 'new' High Representative without a citizens' voice, but their actions pre-empt ctizens' input with regard to the only top post they in principle agreed to let the EU citizens influence through their vote.
The utter weakness of the political parties at European level has been cruelly exposed.
From my point of view it is irrelevant if Barroso is a good candidate, if political movements representing 375 million potential voters are unwilling or unable to field competing candidates for the Commisson Presidency.
Agree!
The rhetoric is coming more and more in the direction of real European Parties, UNITED, fighting a common battle. Common election manifestos and for the first time a Pan European campaign from the European Parliament.
But the real instruments for European voters choice are missing - the first being candidates for the leader of the executive (the Commission), and the second being offering the voters to vote on transnational party lists with candidates from all countries represented. With the absence of these two the elections is and will remain focused on national politics.
Where are our choices in this election?
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