Monday

5th Jun 2023

MEPs set scene for EU top jobs battle

  • Barroso was chosen for a second term in office after a long power struggle between member states and MEPs (Photo: europarl.europa.eu)

With 100 days to go until the EU elections, MEPs have agreed a wishlist on how the next European Commission and its President should be chosen.

The report, passed by the European Parliament's constitutional affairs committee on Tuesday (11 February) and due in plenary next month, calls on governments to clarify how they will "honour" the EU citizens' vote when they put forward a commission President candidate.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

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

... or subscribe as a group

The issue is at the heart of a power struggle between member states and MEPs.

Several MEPs believe the top candidate put forward by the most popular political party should automatically get the post. But governments are generally keener to see the vote as indicative only.

The treaty itself says merely that the election result should be “taken into account.”

Meanwhile, the finer details on how the two camps should go about choosing the candidate leaves room for institutional gridlock: They require that both sides "consult" on how to pick the candidate.

MEPs in the new report ask member states to "clarify" how these consultations should look well before the 22-25 May election.

Deputies also want any commission President candidate to put forward a political programme and to be grilled by MEPs. Only then should their candidacy be put to vote in the parliament.

MEPs encouraged governments to put forward women candidates for commissioners and allowed the future president full autonomy to turn down a nominee.

Deputies are further seeking to influence the nomination process by saying that several commissioners should be chosen from their own ranks.

"As many members of the next commission as possible [should be] chosen from among elected Members of the European Parliament," says Tuesday’s report.

Portuguese Paulo Rangel, the centre-right author of the own-initative text, says the wishlist will "strengthen the democratic legitimacy of the European Commission."

His report also takes aim at the unwieldy size of the commission. It suggests that each of the 28 commissioners having their own portfolio - as is currently the case - is no longer viable.

Instead there should be "commissioners without portfolio" or a system of vice-presidents responsible for "thematic clusters."

Anticipating future EU treaty change, the Rangel report says the parliament should battle for the right of legislative initiative and make it easier to censure the European Commission.

The report is not legally binding. However, it gives an indication of the role parliament would like to play in negotiations on the next European Commission.

MEPs have also in the past shown themselves to be adept at expanding their powers in this area - winning the de facto right to reject single commissioner candidates.

Jose Manuel Barroso, the current commission President, was only elected for a second term in office in autumn 2009 after a months-long power struggle between member states and MEPs.

Centre-right leaders 'informally' back Barroso for second term

Conservative EU leaders gathered in Brussels ahead of the summit "informally" proposed Jose Manuel Barroso for a second mandate as president of the European Commission, with a final agreement to be taken in at the end of the year.

MEPs to urge block on Hungary taking EU presidency in 2024

"This will be the first time a member state that is under the Article 7 procedure will take over the rotating presidency of the council," French Green MEP Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield, the key lawmaker on Hungary, warned.

European Parliament scales back luxury MEP pension fund

The European Parliament's Bureau, a political body composed of the president and its vice-presidents, decided to slash payouts from the fund by 50 percent, freeze automatic indexations, and increase the pension age from 65 to 67.

Analysis

Final steps for EU's due diligence on supply chains law

Final negotiations on the EU due diligence law begin this week. But will this law make companies embed due diligence requirements in their internal processes or incentive them to outsource their obligations to third parties?

Latest News

  1. Final steps for EU's due diligence on supply chains law
  2. Top EU court rules Poland's court reforms 'infringe law'
  3. Sweden's far-right is most anti-Green Deal party in EU
  4. Strengthening recovery, resilience and democracy in regions, cities and villages
  5. Why Hungary cannot be permitted to hold EU presidency
  6. Subcontracting rules allow firms to bypass EU labour rights
  7. Asylum and SLAPP positions in focus This WEEK
  8. Spanish PM to delay EU presidency speech due to snap election

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. International Sustainable Finance CentreJoin CEE Sustainable Finance Summit, 15 – 19 May 2023, high-level event for finance & business
  2. ICLEISeven actionable measures to make food procurement in Europe more sustainable
  3. World BankWorld Bank Report Highlights Role of Human Development for a Successful Green Transition in Europe
  4. Nordic Council of MinistersNordic summit to step up the fight against food loss and waste
  5. Nordic Council of MinistersThink-tank: Strengthen co-operation around tech giants’ influence in the Nordics
  6. EFBWWEFBWW calls for the EC to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us