Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Juncker and Schulz in favour of eurobonds

  • Martin Schulz (l) and Jean-Claude Juncker (r) are the top candidates for the largest EU political families (Photo: European Parliament)

Eurobonds - a controversial debt mutualisation project fiercely opposed by Germany - are being supported in the long run by both the centre-right and centre-left top candidates in the EU elections.

In a double-interview with Spiegel magazine published on Monday (17 March), the two candidates for the presidency of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker and Martin Schulz, spoke in favour of the idea, which is highly popular in France, Spain, Italy and Greece.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Get the EU news that really matters

Instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

"I am still in favour of eurobonds, but I had to take note that there will be no majorities for it in the foreseeable future," the centre-left's Schulz said.

He added that it would be already a great step forward if big projects could be funded with joint loans. The pilot phase of a so-called project bonds scheme was launched by the European Commission last year with €230 million worth of unused funds, boosted by loans from the European Investment Bank.

The first project funded under this scheme - an undersea gas storage facility in Spain - was however halted last year due to earthquakes detected in that area.

For his part, Juncker, who is from the same centre-right political family as German Chancellor Angela Merkel - the main opponent of eurobonds - said he had been in favour of the scheme for at least four years.

"In December 2010 I pleaded in favour of eurobonds together with the conservative Italian finance minister Giulio Tremonti," he said.

Juncker, who was the longest-serving Prime Minister in the EU until last year when he stepped down in a spying scandal in his home country Luxembourg, admitted the time has not yet come for eurobonds to materialise.

"But I think they are the right instrument in the long run," he said.

The two candidates were also in agreement one of them should take over the EU commission presidency after the May elections.

According to the Lisbon Treaty, the next EU commission president should be elected by member states and the European Parliament "taking into account" the result of the EU elections.

But Merkel has already poured cold water on expectations of any "automaticity", suggesting that she would favour the same old package deal where all EU top posts are awarded in backroom deals taking into account the political families, gender, old and new member states.

Both lead candidates disagree with this view.

"To make it clear: It will be one of us. If there is a majority in the Parliament for me, I will be commission president. If the majority is for Schulz, he will get the job," said Juncker.

Schulz also called on EU government chiefs to respect the vote. "If you say beforehand there is a top candidate and afterwards it doesn't count, it would be a highly problematic development in a democracy," he said.

"Heads of state and government cannot take decisions that elude reality. Who decides differently than Europe's voters, increases the gap between citizens and politics," Juncker added.

Too many hats?

Juncker did disagree with his rival on one point, however: the double-hatted function of Schulz as both President of the European Parliament and lead candidate for the Social Democrats.

"Every Parliament president who would be top candidate for the head of government in his country, would have to resign immediately as Parliament President," Juncker said.

Schulz defended the double-hatted job and said he is still doing the EU parliament presidency "beyond party politics" as his mandate requires him to.

"As a Prime Minister, Mr Juncker also carried out countless campaigns in his 19-year long reign," Schulz pointed out.

Schulz's Twitter account meanwhile has also sparked controversies - after he renamed the personal account where he has over 80,000 followers as Social Democratic candidate, while creating a new account for the European Parliament presidential activities - with only 2,800 followers so far.

In a letter addressed to Schulz, several entre-right, liberal, green and leftist MEPs express their "concern" about the change of his Twitter account.

They ask for his presidential activities not to be mixed with political campaigning, which would amount to a violation of the Parliament's code of conduct.

Agenda

EU top candidates debate twice this WEEK

Campaigning for the EU elections gets in full swing this week, with two debates scheduled among the four top candidates of the main political groups.

Interview

An economist on 'elephant-in-room' at German election

Economist Shahin Vallée says Germany has the resposability to lead the European debate on fiscal reforms in the face of the climate crisis. If they don't take up the mantle, the EU will continue failing during further crises.

Opinion

Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Rather than assuming a pro-European Labour government in London will automatically open doors in Brussels, the Labour party needs to consider what it may be able to offer to incentivise EU leaders to factor the UK into their defence thinking.

Latest News

  1. Kenyan traders react angrily to proposed EU clothes ban
  2. Lawyer suing Frontex takes aim at 'antagonistic' judges
  3. Orban's Fidesz faces low-polling jitters ahead of EU election
  4. German bank freezes account of Jewish peace group
  5. EU Modernisation Fund: an open door for fossil gas in Romania
  6. 'Swiftly dial back' interest rates, ECB told
  7. Moscow's terror attack, security and Gaza
  8. Why UK-EU defence and security deal may be difficult

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Nordic Council of MinistersJoin the Nordic Food Systems Takeover at COP28
  2. Nordic Council of MinistersHow women and men are affected differently by climate policy
  3. Nordic Council of MinistersArtist Jessie Kleemann at Nordic pavilion during UN climate summit COP28
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersCOP28: Gathering Nordic and global experts to put food and health on the agenda
  5. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  6. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  2. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  3. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste
  5. UNOPSUNOPS begins works under EU-funded project to repair schools in Ukraine
  6. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsGeorgia effectively prevents sanctions evasion against Russia – confirm EU, UK, USA

Join EUobserver

EU news that matters

Join us