The 27 Member States have now formally decided to nominate José Manuel Barroso for a second term as president of the European Commission. The “written procedure” used ran out just an hour ago, and resulted in a unanimous vote in favour of Mr. Barroso.
The next step is now the approval by the European Parliament, which will hopefully take place during the September session in Strasbourg.
I am pleased that all Member States have now formally agreed on the nomination of the Commission president, as it will ensure continuity of the Commission’s important work during the autumn on climate change, the economic crisis etc. Following Parliament’s vote in September, the president will also have a clear mandate to prepare the appointment of a new college after the referendum in Ireland.
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Friday, 10 July 2009
Thursday, 2 July 2009
Reinfeldt calls for clarity over the leadership of the Commission
Speaking at the launch of Sweden's presidency of the EU in Stockholm yesterday, Frederik Reinfeldt, the Swedish prime minister, called for clarity over the leadership of the Commission. “This is a challenging presidency with the financial crisis, the economic recession and the climate change conference. We need European leadership,” he said. (...)
Reinfeldt pointed out that EU leaders had unanimously backed Barroso for a second term at their summit on 18-19 June and that they had urged the Parliament to vote in July.
Read the full European Voice article here
Reinfeldt pointed out that EU leaders had unanimously backed Barroso for a second term at their summit on 18-19 June and that they had urged the Parliament to vote in July.
Read the full European Voice article here
Friday, 26 June 2009
The nonsense campaign against Mr Barroso
According to the current rule book of the EU, aka the Nice Treaty, it is for the national leaders to nominate a new president of the commission. Their nominee must then be approved by a simple majority of members voting in the European Parliament. That, pretty much, is that.
Arguably, national leaders are going beyond what they strictly have to do: after unanimously agreeing to offer Mr Barroso a second term, they have instructed the current and future rotating presidency countries (the Czechs and Swedes) to sound out the heads of the big parliamentary groups and ask what would happen if the Barroso re-appointment is put to MEPs in July, when they gather in Strasbourg for their first plenary session since the recent Euro-elections.
Um, where is the outrage? Over to Mr Schultz, the fact that national governments, meeting as the European Council:
“wish to run this past a meeting of the European Parliament leaders at the end of June, followed by a vote in July, rather than to have a full and official consultation of the Parliament, is wholly unacceptable. (...)
"My group objects to the indecent haste with which the Council is trying to rush through Mr. Barroso's appointment and we will certainly vote against him".
But people who dislike Mr Barroso, and there are a lot of them in the Brussels bubble, think it will be harder for him to obtain an absolute majority than a simple majority, so they want to take the decision under Lisbon rules. They argue that it is wrong to use the Nice rules, because Lisbon is coming soon and will affect the number of commissioners who will serve under the new president. So they would either like to delay the decision for months, or “anticipate” its ratification and vote as if Lisbon were in force.
I have no doubt that my children would like to “anticipate” Christmas and have their presents in October. But it ain’t happening in my house, and it is not clear to me why it should happen in the European Parliament.
Read the Economist blog
Arguably, national leaders are going beyond what they strictly have to do: after unanimously agreeing to offer Mr Barroso a second term, they have instructed the current and future rotating presidency countries (the Czechs and Swedes) to sound out the heads of the big parliamentary groups and ask what would happen if the Barroso re-appointment is put to MEPs in July, when they gather in Strasbourg for their first plenary session since the recent Euro-elections.
Um, where is the outrage? Over to Mr Schultz, the fact that national governments, meeting as the European Council:
“wish to run this past a meeting of the European Parliament leaders at the end of June, followed by a vote in July, rather than to have a full and official consultation of the Parliament, is wholly unacceptable. (...)
"My group objects to the indecent haste with which the Council is trying to rush through Mr. Barroso's appointment and we will certainly vote against him".
But people who dislike Mr Barroso, and there are a lot of them in the Brussels bubble, think it will be harder for him to obtain an absolute majority than a simple majority, so they want to take the decision under Lisbon rules. They argue that it is wrong to use the Nice rules, because Lisbon is coming soon and will affect the number of commissioners who will serve under the new president. So they would either like to delay the decision for months, or “anticipate” its ratification and vote as if Lisbon were in force.
I have no doubt that my children would like to “anticipate” Christmas and have their presents in October. But it ain’t happening in my house, and it is not clear to me why it should happen in the European Parliament.
Read the Economist blog
Thursday, 25 June 2009
A timeline for the appointment of a new Commission
– 18-19 June: EU leaders take political decision to nominate Barroso for a second term.
– 23 June: European People's Party (EPP) and Socialist groups appoint leaders.
– 25 June: Meeting of European Parliament political group leaders with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer in Stockholm.
– If discussions in Stockholm indicate Barroso will win backing of most MEPs in a vote on 15 July, EU leaders will take a formal decision to nominate Barroso (possibly by written procedure).
– 30 June: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe MEPs appoint a new leader.
– 7 July: EPP decision on candidate for president of European Parliament.
– 15 July: Barroso appears before the European Parliament. MEPs vote to approve nomination by a simple majority.
– End September-early October: Ireland holds referendum on Lisbon treaty.
– Once Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic complete ratification, a decision can be taken by EU leaders to keep the size of the Commission at 27, ie, one per member state. EU leaders nominate list of commissioners.
– 29-30 October: EU summit to decide on nomination of commissioners, president of the European Council, high representative and deputy secretary-general of the Council.
– November: Hearings for designated commissioners.
– November/December: European Parliament plenary vote on European Commission and president (by absolute majority), followed by appointment by EU leaders (by qualified majority).
– January 2010. Entry into force of Lisbon treaty.(European Voice)
– 23 June: European People's Party (EPP) and Socialist groups appoint leaders.
– 25 June: Meeting of European Parliament political group leaders with Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt and Czech Prime Minister Jan Fischer in Stockholm.
– If discussions in Stockholm indicate Barroso will win backing of most MEPs in a vote on 15 July, EU leaders will take a formal decision to nominate Barroso (possibly by written procedure).
– 30 June: Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe MEPs appoint a new leader.
– 7 July: EPP decision on candidate for president of European Parliament.
– 15 July: Barroso appears before the European Parliament. MEPs vote to approve nomination by a simple majority.
– End September-early October: Ireland holds referendum on Lisbon treaty.
– Once Ireland, Poland and the Czech Republic complete ratification, a decision can be taken by EU leaders to keep the size of the Commission at 27, ie, one per member state. EU leaders nominate list of commissioners.
– 29-30 October: EU summit to decide on nomination of commissioners, president of the European Council, high representative and deputy secretary-general of the Council.
– November: Hearings for designated commissioners.
– November/December: European Parliament plenary vote on European Commission and president (by absolute majority), followed by appointment by EU leaders (by qualified majority).
– January 2010. Entry into force of Lisbon treaty.(European Voice)
Friday, 19 June 2009
Unanimous support for Second Mandate
EU leaders have given unanimous political backing for Jose Manuel Barroso to become president of the European Commission for a second time, putting an end to months of speculation about his candidacy.
Czech Prime minister Jan Fischer, currently in charge of the EU, said there was "broad and unanimous support" for the centre-right Portuguese politician, who presented some of his plans for his second mandate during a dinner with EU leaders on Thursday evening (18 June).
A clearly-relieved Mr Barroso, who first put out feelers for a second mandate two years ago, said: "what can I say to you except I am extremely proud of the unanimous support I received."
He explained he had received backing from all 27 governments because he has always shown "respect" to all member states regardless of size or geography.
Read the full EUobserver article here
Czech Prime minister Jan Fischer, currently in charge of the EU, said there was "broad and unanimous support" for the centre-right Portuguese politician, who presented some of his plans for his second mandate during a dinner with EU leaders on Thursday evening (18 June).
A clearly-relieved Mr Barroso, who first put out feelers for a second mandate two years ago, said: "what can I say to you except I am extremely proud of the unanimous support I received."
He explained he had received backing from all 27 governments because he has always shown "respect" to all member states regardless of size or geography.
Read the full EUobserver article here
Thursday, 18 June 2009
"We need more, not less Europe."
President Barroso sets out his policy ambitions for the next five years in letter addressed to EU heads of state and government.
Please click here to read the full text.
Please click here to read the full text.
Tuesday, 16 June 2009
Barroso Mark II
The Council should give a legally binding endorsement to Mr Barroso at its summit next week, to prevent (particularly the big) member states putting pressure on him as he puts together his team.
Read more on the Financial Times here
Read more on the Financial Times here
Monday, 15 June 2009
Pour ou contre un second mandat de Barroso?
Deux journalistes spécialistes des affaires européennes débatent sur les pours et les contres d'un second mandat de Barroso - visonnez le débat sur le site d'Euronews.
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Tomorrow’s European Commission
As the President Barroso nears the end of its term, the perception in some national capitals is that the Commission is now a more "politically weakened institution".
A closer look at the institutional triangle would be enough to reach this conclusion: the European Parliament today is a more powerful institution than the “talking shop” it used to be in the early 50s. The Parliament’s role has been upgraded to that of a co-legislator with the Council in a wide range of policy areas, for the sake of EU citizens' interests and for the sake of Europe's democracy. The Council of the European Union has also changed to include 12 new Member States whose interests need to be accommodated.
In today’s Europe, however, my perception of the European Commission would be slightly different. When I look back in time, since President Hallstein and during its 51 years of existence, l can only recall of a period when the European Commission was (and was allowed to be) bolder, if you like vis-à-vis the Member States. It was during 1985-95 term of Jacques Delors. Back then, however, there were 15 Member States around the table. To use the cartoonist language, there were 17 Commissioners who would probably order coffee and, perhaps, some tea? The French-German axis was fine-tuned, which doesn’t happen for a while; and most importantly: it was in every Member State’s interest to build a common market. These were indeed inspiring days for the life of the European Commission, but they were just about one-fifth of the Commission’s lifetime.
When I look at today’s European Commission, I don’t see a weaker institution, but rather one that is changing. And one that needs to change because we are no longer living in the 90s. Since then, the world has completely changed, Eastern Europe has been “back to Europe” again and the Commission is now a more diverse group of 27 Commissioners, which inevitably faces a risk of fragmentation.
During his tenure, President Barroso has managed to forge consensus between the 27 Member States, big and small, while also reinforcing his own role inside the College. This might have changed collegiality and might have paved the way for a new form of 'presidentialisation', as some have put it. However, I do not see this as a negative development for the institutional life of the Commission. Quite the opposite: tomorrow’s European Commission will need greater doses of consensus to be able to deliver on different fronts and to be inclusive of different actors in society.
President Barroso did set the tone for a more open and flexible Commission. A European Commission that wants to reach out to citizens. A lot more needs to be done, of course. But if we want to re-invent Europe every day, as President Obama has recently said, we cannot be bound by our past, otherwise we will never move forward.
A closer look at the institutional triangle would be enough to reach this conclusion: the European Parliament today is a more powerful institution than the “talking shop” it used to be in the early 50s. The Parliament’s role has been upgraded to that of a co-legislator with the Council in a wide range of policy areas, for the sake of EU citizens' interests and for the sake of Europe's democracy. The Council of the European Union has also changed to include 12 new Member States whose interests need to be accommodated.
In today’s Europe, however, my perception of the European Commission would be slightly different. When I look back in time, since President Hallstein and during its 51 years of existence, l can only recall of a period when the European Commission was (and was allowed to be) bolder, if you like vis-à-vis the Member States. It was during 1985-95 term of Jacques Delors. Back then, however, there were 15 Member States around the table. To use the cartoonist language, there were 17 Commissioners who would probably order coffee and, perhaps, some tea? The French-German axis was fine-tuned, which doesn’t happen for a while; and most importantly: it was in every Member State’s interest to build a common market. These were indeed inspiring days for the life of the European Commission, but they were just about one-fifth of the Commission’s lifetime.
When I look at today’s European Commission, I don’t see a weaker institution, but rather one that is changing. And one that needs to change because we are no longer living in the 90s. Since then, the world has completely changed, Eastern Europe has been “back to Europe” again and the Commission is now a more diverse group of 27 Commissioners, which inevitably faces a risk of fragmentation.
During his tenure, President Barroso has managed to forge consensus between the 27 Member States, big and small, while also reinforcing his own role inside the College. This might have changed collegiality and might have paved the way for a new form of 'presidentialisation', as some have put it. However, I do not see this as a negative development for the institutional life of the Commission. Quite the opposite: tomorrow’s European Commission will need greater doses of consensus to be able to deliver on different fronts and to be inclusive of different actors in society.
President Barroso did set the tone for a more open and flexible Commission. A European Commission that wants to reach out to citizens. A lot more needs to be done, of course. But if we want to re-invent Europe every day, as President Obama has recently said, we cannot be bound by our past, otherwise we will never move forward.
Barroso II: an ambitious political programme
José Manuel Barroso has asked EU governments and MEPs to support an “ambitious political programme” for a second term as European Commission president. (...)
Barroso said: “In times of crisis we need a strong European Commission and strong European Union. I believe we are not living in 'business as usual' times. We need ambition and European commitment."
Read the full European Voice article here
Barroso said: “In times of crisis we need a strong European Commission and strong European Union. I believe we are not living in 'business as usual' times. We need ambition and European commitment."
Read the full European Voice article here
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