Brussels, 04/11/2014 (Agence Europe) - The new Commission headed by Jean-Claude Juncker is a new configuration but the challenges facing it are just as heavy as they were previously. It will be based around seven vice presidents and began its new remit on Monday 3 November with its first promise made by Juncker's entourage to re-politicise the Commission and modernise both the way in which the College of Commissioners functions, as well as its relationship with the media.
On 3 November, Margaritis Schinas, the spokesperson for Juncker, suggested that the president of the Commission himself or his second-in-command, Frans Timmermans from the Netherlands, should be able to directly discuss dossiers with the media that are on the College's weekly agenda. The Commissioners will be asked take their dossiers directly into the field or into the debates carried out by their colleagues.
On 22 October last in Strasbourg during a vote on his College of Commissioners, Juncker indicated that his Commission provided a “last chance” and that there was a great risk that without reforms, the gap between the EU and its citizens would grow even deeper. He again mentioned this fear on Monday 3 November in Frankfurt during a meeting with the former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. His priorities include employment and growth, both in top position, with the launch of his flagship project on investment.
On Tuesday 4 November, Juncker was invited by the EP to explain these priorities and the results of the most recent European Council. Juncker explained that on this level, things were still being prepared but focused on the private sector and that at the moment, it certainly was not the time to, “increase deficits and public debt”. Reforming the EU and reducing bureaucracy are also part of the projects. The former head of Eurogroup, however, rejected the caricature of the Commission portrayed by certain commentators. He returned to the controversy involving the budget at the most recent summit (see other article) but refused to accept that the term “a hold-up by Eurocrats” and referred to the “deformed” way in which the facts are sometimes reported, “I do not accept the superficial criticism addressed to the Commission”. The president was alluding to the British and Italian leaders and, with respect to David Cameron, said that he recognised that the problem (additional contributions to the EU budget to pay by 1 December) had, “a completely different dimension to other years… we will look at ways of finding a solution, not only to the United Kingdom but for all member states affected”. Some of the major challenges to be met also include European policy for tackling global warming, the Union's energy and migration policies, in the context of another boat sinking off the Turkish coast, which marked the first day of Dimitris Avramopoulos as Commissioner (see other article). (SP)