The European Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, considered it “important” on Tuesday 11 June to hear Europeans' “call for change” in the choice of strategic priorities and political figures for the next institutional framework.
Ms Vestager was referring to a higher voter turnout in the last European elections and noted that “new cooperation” will be needed in the Parliament to ensure a stable pro-European political majority.
In parallel with the work in the EU Council (see EUROPE 12271/2), the European Parliament is taking action to put pressure on the development of a strategic agenda for the next 5 years. The four political groups that can form a stable pro-European majority - EPP, S&D, ALDE&R, Greens/EFA - have appointed their representatives or are in the process of doing so. The five working groups will meet on Thursday 13 and Friday 14 June with a view to finalising their work on Monday 17 June.
Recalling that she defended the Liberals' vision during the Spitzenkandidaten election debate in the Parliament Chamber (see EUROPE 12255/2), the Commissioner considers herself to be the leading candidate in her political family in the race for the presidency of the European Commission. But she herself admitted that it was very difficult to predict what will happen in the next couple of weeks regarding the nominations to senior European posts that will become vacant by the end of the year.
Some criticise Ms Vestager for not having been a candidate in the European elections and for only having revealed her ambition for the Commission on the evening of the election results (see EUROPE 12263/2).
During a debate organised by Politico, the President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, once again called for the continuation of the Spitzenkandidaten process, this “tiny democratic progress” at European level. Noting that the EPP party had again won the European elections in 2019, “logic” would have it, according to him, that its top candidate, the German Manfred Weber, be entitled to seek a positive majority in the European Parliament.
On the strategic agenda, Mr Juncker recalled that in 2014, he discussed his ten major political priorities with all political groups except the far right. Europeans would not understand if the fight against climate change were not included, he said. For the President of the Commission, priority must be given to the objectives already set for 2030 before projecting further deadlines, with reference to Member States' calls for climate neutrality in 2050. “To fix new goals again and again does not make sense. Let's focus on existing ones”, he said. (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion with Lucas Tripoteau)