Upon taking office in 2014, Luxembourger Jean-Claude Juncker promised that the Commission he was about to lead would be “highly political.” This implied it would be less technocratic and less subject to the influence of major member states than its predecessor, led by Josรฉ Manuel Barroso. Indeed, Jean-Claude Juncker was appointed to his new role through an unprecedented process known as the “Spitzenkandidat” (lead candidate), after heading the list for the EPP (European People’s Party, right), the political group that received the most votes in the European Parliament elections in May 2014.
This method, not provided for by European treaties, was intended to address the democratic deficit often associated with the Commission. Nonetheless, the Brussels executive, by its functions, maintains a hybrid nature: political as the almost exclusive initiator of European legislative proposals; administrative as the guardian of treaty compliance. Moreover, the limited resources available to it, due in part to the weakness of the European budget, make it dependent on the will of member states. This is especially true in times of crisis. Additionally, although since the Maastricht Treaty (1992), the Parliament and the Council of the Union (consisting of national ministers by area of expertise) are on an equal footing to adopt most European standards, it is, in fact, the European Council of heads of state and government that mainly sets the content and pace of the European agenda.
Preserved areas. If the member states choose to do nothing, nothing really changes, especially in sovereign domains (defense, justice, foreign policy…) covered by unanimous voting. Conversely, it was because they all resolutely backed Michel Barnier that he was able to negotiate from a position of strength with the United Kingdom concerning Brexit. Will the Spitzenkandidat system, criticized by heads of state like Emmanuel Macron, who finds it too favorable to the major European parties (EPP, European Socialist Party), be applied again this year? Most of the contending parties have nominated their candidate. However, the likely fragmentation of the Parliament into weaker groups could make it difficult to appoint a Commission president with a strong majority base.
Yann Mens, Alternatives รฉconomiques
