just one month ago, citizens across Europe made clear democratic choices in the European elections, and leaders of national governments must now respect such outcomes when appointing the next European Commission President – regardless of their personal preferences.
Citizens of 28 member states were keenly told by the European institutions that with the introduction of the so named ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ system, as facilitated by the Lisbon treaty, would be different this time. If the heads of states meeting this week in Ypres and Brussels opt for any candidate other than Luxembourg’s Jean Claude Junker, nothing will have changed.
Jo Leinen MEP, President of the European Movement International said that ‘the times of back-room deals are over once and for all. The Lisbon treaty clearly states that the European Parliament and thus indirectly the citizens elect the Commission President. The Heads of State and Government can either accept that or they will not only betray the citizens but also provoke an institutional crisis’.
In times when trust in the European Union can be said to be in jeopardy and Eurosceptic parties are electorally faring well, the European Council must now stand up for democracy and seize this opportunity to show citizens that their voice counts. Agreement on anyone other than Mr Juncker for European Commission President not only provides a dangerous precedent in going against the spirit of the Lisbon Treaty, but will provide ammunition for Eurosceptics to fuel disillusionment in the European project, potentially leading to even lower participation in future elections.
Mr Leinen continued that ‘with European democracy being at stake, the European Council must not give in to the blackmailing attempts of some national leaders, who have obviously overplayed their hand’.