The European Parliament is about to reaffirm on Wednesday 13 February that it will be "ready to reject any candidate for the presidency of the European Commission who has not been designated as the head of the list ahead of the European elections" set for May 2019 in a resolution submitted to it by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs.
This statement reiterates a position already expressed in plenary session just one year ago (see EUROPE 11956), but it is important at a time when there is uncertainty about the willingness of all European political families, particularly Liberals, to repeat the 2014 experience that led to the appointment of Jean-Claude Juncker, head of the EPP party list, to head the current European Commission, after the victory of the Christian Democratic family in the European elections.
However, there is nothing to suggest that the European Parliament, which will come out of the polls at the end of May, will take up such a statement.
In the meantime, the draft resolution underlines the "determination" of MEPs to continue the "successful" practice of the top candidates (Spitzenkandidaten) for the election of the next President of the Commission. He stressed that, when the President of the Commission is inaugurated, "appropriate consultations with Parliament are of paramount importance, since, after the elections, it will determine the candidate who can be supported by a majority of its members".
On the sectoral level, MEPs stress the importance of completing the banking union and providing the euro zone with a specific budgetary capacity as well as strengthening defence cooperation.
Rule of law. As for respect for the rule of law, the European Parliament should reiterate its view that "neither national sovereignty nor subsidiarity can justify nor legitimise the systematic removal of a Member State from the fundamental values of the European Union" enshrined in the European treaties. It will again ask the Commission to present rapidly a proposal on the creation of a Union mechanism for democracy, the rule of law and fundamental rights (see EUROPE 12137).
Finally, MEPs will reiterate their proposal, with a view to a possible revision of the Treaties, to also grant Parliament the right of legislative initiative.
See the draft declaration: https://bit.ly/2N0xzjD. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)