Brussels, 02/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - A “historic” European Council which enabled the way to be paved for future collaboration between the Parliament, Commission and Council - this is how the main EU representatives described the results of the European Council on 26-27 June when they were in Strasbourg on Wednesday 2 July. The Council was marked primarily by the nomination of Jean-Claude Juncker for the presidency of the European Commission, the adoption of a strategic EU roadmap for the next five years, and the signature of the association agreements with Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova.
For the first time, the European Council will have ratified the “European Parliament's relentless struggle” to have its candidate elected to the presidency of the Commission, said the new S&D Group leader, Gianni Pittella (Italy), who believes that the appointment of Juncker is “the most historic act” of this summit.
Anxious not to set too many sparks flying, however, or to pat themselves on the back too much, the freshly elected MEPs or those who were new arrivals also called for a change in direction in European policies. The new head of the eurosceptic European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) Group, Syed Kamall (UK), who now leads the third force in the European Parliament, quickly reminded his listeners of this. “It's a Europe with ideas for 2050 we need, not for 1950”, Kamall said, stating that Europe must “look to the future and not live in the past”. The ECR Group wants reforms that enable the growth potential of the single market to be released, that enable trade to be opened, bureaucracy to be lightened and the EU's energy security to be strengthened. Although the ECR is opposed to the spitzenkandidaten process, it is nevertheless “ready to work with Jean-Claude Juncker if he presents us with a progressive programme”.
This resolve for change has for long been promoted by Guy Verhofstadt (Belgium), the leader of the liberal ALDE Group at the European Parliament. Verhofstadt, whose group now comes in fourth place behind the ECR, primarily wants a new way of leading the Commission. In front of European Commission President José Manuel Barroso, Verhofstadt called on the next Commission president “not to come before us just to make beautiful speeches any more, and then once gone to apply everything the Council wants”. If Juncker wants the support of MEPs, he should be a president who exercises his “right of initiative every time the Parliament requests it”, said Verhofstadt.
This is also Pittella's opinion, who says he is not “ready to sign a blank cheque” for Juncker. “My group wants a plan for employment, for growth, for building big network projects, especially with the bonds project, and it wants better use of the European budget”, he said. Pittella also supports using “all the possibilities for flexibility in the stability and growth pact”.
Remainder of the match as regards Juncker's election. Pittella summed it up all alone. After the summit of the 28 EU heads of state and government, “the match is still to be won and there can still be surprises”, he said. In theory, Juncker is assured of a large majority as the three main pro-European groups in the European Parliament - the EPP, S&D and ALDE - have concluded all the agreements possible to enable his election without any hitches on 16 July (or possibly 15 July). MEPs from these groups alone represent 479 votes.
However, doubts persist as defections from within the EPP Group cannot be ruled out. Juncker is currently using his time to make some phone calls to certain MEPs in order to question them on this. In particular he is calling French pro-Barnier MEPs who might think that Juncker is too federalist, says a Parliament source.
Total support for Juncker is not guaranteed on the Socialist side either. The British Labour MEPs are against Juncker, and there is also criticism from some French Socialists - led by Pervenche Berès. “To be assured of our support, any candidate for the presidency of the European Commission will have to take the irrevocable commitment to promote investment, sustainable growth and decent and safe jobs; to fight against inequality; to guarantee free movement while putting an end to social dumping; to strengthen support for fundamental rights”, the French Socialists have written in a memorandum.
The fifth largest group at the European Parliament, the radical left GUE/NGL (which had put its hopes in Alexis Tsipras during the election campaign), also has its demands, said the group's leader Gabi Zimmer. Certain that Juncker has been chosen “because there was no other solution”, the “same policy” seems to be being drawn up. “What results has the Council drawn from the elections and the millions of electors who refuse privatisation? We want other responses to fight against youth unemployment and to change the free-trade agreements. And we heard nothing at the Council except the pressure that will be put on the member states as part of the European semester”, Zimmer concluded. (SP)