Brussels, 22/04/2014 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 22 April, the European Commission said it would be ensuring proper application of the treaty after the European elections. It was reacting to comments at the weekend by the president of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy, in an article in Suddeutsche Zeitung.
“I'm not an avid supporter of this idea with the top candidates” being candidates for the new head of the European Commission, said Van Rompuy. He said that this new idea would not have “any great influence on the behaviour of voters, to put it mildly.” Under the Lisbon Treaty, the European Council shall propose, in the light of the outcome of the European elections and by a qualified majority vote, a candidate for the next president of the European Commission. The European Parliament shall then vote on that candidate by a majority vote. The EPP, PES, ALDE, Greens/EFA and GUE/NGL are all playing along and have chosen their candidate to head the European election campaigning. Van Rompuy said the EP had an “important role” but “the difference between the Parliament and those who really decide is very clear to the citizens.”
Jonathan Todd, a European Commission spokesman, said Van Rompuy was entitled to express his views, but the Commission would be ensuring proper application of the treaties. Hannes Swoboda, head of the S&D group at the EP, was far less diplomatic, tweeting that Van Rompuy's statements were “scandalous” and “clearly he doesn't understand the democratic process of EP2014 nominations!”
The EPP's candidate, Jean-Claude Juncker, an ally of Van Rompuy, said last week in an interview with this newsletter that the time of closed door negotiations was over and it would be a an insult to democracy if the European election results were not respected (see EUROPE 11062). The decision by Van Rompuy in January to convene a summit of EU heads of state on 27 May, just 48 hours after the European elections, is highly controversial among MEPs (see EUROPE 11011). (EL)