Who will be the next President of the European Commission? What electoral power does the European Council have in (s)electing top EU positions? How does the internal decision-making process between national leaders take place? What are the new dynamics in intra- and interinstitutional relations?
Such questions and more are addressed in the latest publication by Birgit Bujard and Prof. Wolfgang Wessels (CETEUS), just in time for the 2024 elections to the European Parliament and the subsequent appointment of the President of the European Commission.
Abstract
The Spitzenkandidaten process initiated by the European Parliament for the 2014 European Parliament elections was bound to challenge the European Council’s electoral function. This analysis will consider the European Council’s role in electing the Commission President in the past and particularly since 2014. We argue that there is a path dependency in the procedure by which national leaders want to have a decisive say. Yet to explain the European Council’s role we need to put it in a broader context and widen the scope to focus on its electoral function in general and take into account the other top positions for which this key institution performs this function: the members always agree on their proposals in package deals linking the nomination of the President of the European Commission with those of the President of the European Council as well as the High Representative and, in 2019, also of the President of the European Central Bank. Our contribution will identify the criteria for the European Council’s agreements and analyse the political power battles that underpin them. It will also illustrate that the political leaders of the EU member states have no intention to reduce their powers in selecting the key personnel of the EU institutions referring to the legitimacy of their involvement. In addition, we will sketch out ways and procedures by which the European Council and the European Parliament are able to reach the necessary compromises concerning the selection of EU institution leaders.
About the book: The Politicisation of the European Commission’s Presidency
This book is the first systematic effort to investigate the ramifications of the introduction of the Spitzenkandidaten process for the appointment of the President of the European Commission. It does so by examining the first two applications of the Spitzenkandidaten process from an historical, legal and political perspective. Although this process has spurred vibrant debate regarding its impact on EU elections and the EU political system, it has yet to be comprehensively analysed by scholars. Addressing this important gap, the book provides a conceptual framework for analysing the impact of the Spitzenkandidaten process, takes stock of its internal, inter-institutional and constitutional repercussions, and assesses its future prospects. Interdisciplinary in nature, the book touches on several important themes, including European elections, EU policy making, leadership, legitimacy, supranationalism and European integration. Published to coincide with the 2024 European Parliament election, it will appeal to scholars and students of the politics of European integration, public administration, governance, European politics and EU constitutional law.
- Offers an historical, legal and political perspective of the Spitzenkandidaten process
- Provides a comprehensive assessment of the evolution of leadership selection in the EU
- Coincides with the 2024 European Parliament election
Read the full book chapter here (available via VPN of the University of Cologne).
In: Ceron, M., Christiansen, T., Dimitrakopoulos, D.G. (eds) The Politicisation of the European Commission’s Presidency. European Administrative Governance. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-48173-4_11.