Despite European elections have not taken place yet, intense negotiations are taking place for the selection of the President of the Commission. The current holder, the Portuguese Jose Manuel Barroso, twice president of the European Commission, will not stand again. 

It has long been known that Angela Merkel takes a very dim view of the willingness of the European Parliament to impose the European Council of Heads of State and Government its candidate for the presidency of the Commission. The Chancellor believes that, according to European treaties, this prerogative belongs only to the governments of the Member States. And she’s legally right: the European Council must take into account only the results of elections to choose its candidate (qualified majority), which is very vague, and the Parliament has the power to ratify or reject the appointment with the absolute majority of its members. But this one, by a sort of  constitutional “coup”, wants to impose the candidate of its choice, in this case the top of the list of European party  with an unquestionable parliamentary majority. This is why all political families (except the eurosceptics and the far right) have appointed a head of the list to be represented: German Martin Schulz for the Party of European Socialists (PES), the Belgian Guy Verhofstadt for the Liberals, the French José Bové and the German Ska Keller for the Greens (who are always in pairs), the Greek Alexis Tsipras for the radical left.

Until now, for the Conservative European People’s Party (EPP), media reports indicated that it was doubtful that Jean-Claude Juncker would gain the crucial support needed from Merkel, as a member of this parliamentary group. However, according to the latest rumors, the Chancelor is more interested in supporting Christine Lagarde, the head of the International Monetary Fund (according to La Libre Belgique – 7 Mai 2014).

“The two women get along very well and Merkel believes that Lagarde would be his best ally”, rumors claim. Christine Lagarde has not denied or confirmed. It would be the third time that a European IMF chief would go before the end of its mission.

 

Claudio SANNA