Brussels, 13/06/2014 (Agence Europe) - In an article in European newspapers on 13 June, the British prime minister issued a warning (or cry for help?) that Europe must focus on finding an “honest and trusted broker” to head the European Commission and Jean-Claude Juncker should not be chosen using a procedure determined by the European Parliament without the approval of the member states. He said Juncker was “an experienced politician” but “most Europeans did not vote in the European Parliament elections (…) and nowhere was Mr Juncker on the ballot paper”.
“Under the EU treaties, ratified by national parliaments, it is for EU heads of government to propose the candidate to head the European Commission - albeit leaders should 'take account' of the European elections”, explained Cameron, adding: “Then MEPs vote on this candidate in a secret ballot. That is the clear process, enshrined in the Lisbon Treaty”.
“But certain MEPs have invented a new process whereby they are trying to both choose and elect the candidate. Each of the main political groups ran 'lead candidates' so-called Spitzenkandidaten - during the election and did a back-room deal to join forces after the elections in support of the lead candidate of the party that won the most seats. This concept was never agreed by the European Council. It was not negotiated between the European institutions. And it was never ratified by national parliaments”, he added.
Noting the low turnout at the European elections (43.09%), and “the fall in turnout in the majority of countries”, Cameron directly attacks Juncker, saying his name was “not on any ballot paper”. “Even in Germany, where the concept of 'Spitzenkandidaten' got the most air time, only 15% even knew he was a candidate”. The British prime minister says that voters cast their votes for MEPs, not the next president of the Commission and saying the opposite “would be deeply damaging for Europe and would undermine, rather than strengthen, the EU's democratic legitimacy”.
He adds that this “would shift power from national governments to the European Parliament without voters' approval. It would, in reality, prevent a serving prime minister or president from leading the European Commission (…). It would politicise the European Commission (…) and make it difficult for it to embody impartiality and the common good of the Union”.
This media offensive comes after failure at the weekend to found an anti-Juncker coalition in talks in Sweden between the leaders of the UK, Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands (see EUROPE 11097).
The German chancellor, Angela Merkel, publicly supports Juncker, whom she ensured was elected by the EPP in Dublin on 7 March as their lead candidate. A spokesman for Merkel reacted on Friday 13 June to Cameron's open letter saying that, as one of the leaders of the EPP party, the chancellor had been involved in the selection of candidate Juncker and the treaties had therefore not been violated. Sweden and the Netherlands have publicly criticised the process followed by the EP's groups, but the UK has not yet managed to form a vetoing minority at the European Council to prevent the appointment of Juncker of Luxembourg. (SP)