Who’s the boss of who
On the afternoon of April 8, together with our friends from the Spring Alliance (trade unions, environment and development organisations), we will organise a debate on “a new path for Europe” with the MEPs’ candidates for the position of President of the European Commission. We want to ensure that the EU puts people and planet first in its policies and we want to understand what the next president of the Commission will do. My only worry is: can we be certain that one of them will become President of the Commission?
In fact, who is going to decide on this essential issue? You, the voters? MEPs? Heads of State? It might be a little more complicated than that. The source of the complexity lies in article 17 of the Treaty of the functioning of the EU – that has ensured that neither the Heads of State nor MEPs can decide separately on this important position.
The whole battle between the Parliament and the Heads of State lies in the interpretation of the words “taking into account the elections to the European Parliament” in article 17.
The Heads of State “shall take into account the elections to the European Parliament” when proposing to the Parliament a candidate for President of the Commission. Here is the interpretation given by the President of the Council of “shall take into account”. Last week, Herman van Rompuy explained to the press that he intends to invite on May 27 all the Heads of State two days after the European elections to assess what kind of majority will come out of the ballot boxes and what kind of candidate is likely to be elected as President of the Commission.
MEPs have a completely different understanding of what “shall take into account” means.
For them, it means that the candidate for the Commission’s presidency should be selected among the candidates presented by the European political parties: Tsípras for the European left, Schulz for the Socialists, Bové and Keller for the Greens, Verhofstadt for the Liberals, and the EPP will decide on its candidate on March 6 in Dublin.
Different interpretations but can one side impose its interpretation on the other? Not really!
The Heads of State are the boss of the Parliament when it comes to choosing the nominee. However they cannot guarantee his/her election. This is where the Parliament is the boss of the Heads of State since it shall elect the candidate by a majority of its members.
The situation is a bit like playing any ball game: one has the players, the others have the ball. Without the two, there is no game. They will have to come to an agreement. There will be negotiations to avoid a clash over the summer and this might lead to the nomination of someone we have not heard of before.
Did I mention the voters? We are still far away from a direct election of the President of the Commission. Voters’ choice will be reflected in the final decision but it might take me more than a page in May to explain how.
Let’s engage
Pierre Baussand – Director
