The Juncker Commission, the Return of Politics?
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POLICYPOLICY PAPERPAPER European Issues n°330 The Juncker Commission, the th 27 October 2014 return of politics? Charles de Marcilly Abstract : On 10th September the President elect of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker unveiled what has been qualified as “the A-team” whose members attended hearings with the European Parliament from 29th September to 7th October before a vote of approval on 22nd October. After a general introduction of the Commissioners appointed, which highlights a concentration of strong, varied competences, followed by an analysis of this innovative matrix organisation and the questions that this new structure raises, this study recalls the programme described in the roadmap of the members of the College [1]. 1. The author thanks Aude Prenassi, Guillaume Anglars and Thierry Chopin for their 1/ EXPERIENCED COMMISSIONERS WITH President of the European Council from 1st December help and proofreading 2. http://eur-lex.europa. VARIED PROFILES 2014 to 31st May 2017. eu/legal-content/FR/ This delay illustrates the complexity of the institutional TXT/?uri=CELEX:12012E/ TXT a. The States provide, the President of the “mercato” that followed the appointment of Jean- 3. http://www.consilium. Commission positions, the Parliament validates Claude Juncker. The European elections took place in europa.eu/uedocs/cms_ data/docs/pressdata/fr/ a unique context since the campaign focused in part ec/144004.pdf Article 17 of the TFEU [2] indicates that “the members of on the ability of the winning party to put forward a 4. Yves Bertoncini et Thierry Chopin, the Commission shall neither seek nor take instructions “Spitzenkandidat” to lead the European executive. « Des visages sur des clivages. Les élections from any Government or other institution, body, office This was an innovation [4] because this prerogative européennes de mai or entity. They shall refrain from any action incompatible belongs to the heads of State and government and the 2014 », http://www. robert-schuman.eu/fr/ with their duties or the performance of their tasks.” interpretation of the phrase “taking on board the result doc/divers/des-visages- Indeed, although it is expected that the Commissioners of the elections for the European Parliament” was the sur-des-clivages.pdf 5. http://europa.eu/ put their “nationality to one side” and that they do not focus of many debates. The list of Commissioners rapid/press-release_IP- refer “to the Member State they know best” it turns out designate was presented on 5th September [5] and the 14-965_fr.htm 6. Article 17 of TFEU that the heads of State and government have waged a distribution of portfolio made public by the President “the Council, by common accord with battle of influence so that their citizen be granted the elect Jean-Claude Juncker on 10th September. the President-elect, desired portfolio in line with the political etiquette of his/ Indeed the Council appointed 27 Commissioners shall adopt the list of the other persons her country of origin or sex. The criticism of this political designate in agreement with the President elect of whom it proposes and diplomatic “game” and lack of overall vision led the Commission [6], but it is the latter that assigns for appointment as members of the to delays in decision making [3]. During the European responsibilities within the College. Hence he has a Commission.” 7. http://www.euractiv. Council on 16th July 2014 European leaders agreed on power of persuasion, which is not written but is of fr/sections/priorites- the appointments of the leading posts in the European consequence, to encourage the States to put forward ue-2020/jean-claude- juncker-recherche-des- executive. A decision was taken during the European certain personalities or profiles. It was within this candidates-pour-la- Council on 30th August. European leaders then agreed framework that Jean-Claude Juncker was able to commission-303396 8. A detailed graph on the appointment of Federica Mogherini, the Italian express his wish for more women candidates and of the procedure is Foreign Minister, to head European diplomacy as the ensure that they won key posts whilst the States available: http:// www.europarl.europa. High Representative of Foreign and Security Policy in mainly put forward men [7]. It is also the responsibility eu/news/en/newsro omcontent/201409 replacement of Catherine Ashton. This post also means of the future President to put a coherent team together 16STO63701/html/ that its titleholder is Vice-President of the European with the support of the European Parliament which Infographic-how-the- European-Commission- Commission. Moreover Donald Tusk, Prime Minister votes on the investiture of the entire College and not will-get-elected of Poland will replace Herman van Rompuy as the each member individually [8]. However the procedure FONDATION ROBERT SCHUMAN / EUROPEAN ISSUES N°330 / 27TH OCTOBER 2014 The Juncker Commission, the return of politics? enabling a Commissioner to resign as illustrated by to focus on the economy and also on supporting the John Dalli [9], allows the President of the Commission settlement of external crises. more power in practice than his predecessors in the The Commission comprises [11] 4 former Prime ilk of Jacques Santer, who obliged the entire College Ministers, 4 Deputy Prime Ministers, 19 former Ministers, 2 to resign on 15th March 1999. After approval of the 8 former MEPs. One third of the Commissioners European Parliament, 423 votes in support, 209 against designate (9 out of 28) including the President elected, and 67 abstentions on 22nd October the heads of State were candidates in the European elections, bearing and government, which met for the European Council, witness to a certain amount of democratic legitimacy. officially appointed the Commission by a qualified This balance and variety of experience will be useful majority. in terms of relations and mutual understanding with the other two institutions in the European institutional b. Important economic and diplomatic skills triangle, the Parliament and the Council. Seven outgoing Commissioners were re-appointed Jean-Claude Juncker is the third Luxembourger to take whilst this was the case for 8 of them during the the head of the European Commission [10]. He has second mandate of the Commission presided over European political experience which is unique amongst by José Manuel Barroso. The seven “re-appointed” European leaders. A polyglot (French, German and Commissioners have been given portfolio different English), he has been part of the European Council from their previous mandate whilst this was true in the and also the Eurogroup, accumulating the functions past (Sicco Mansholt, Hans von der Groeben, Albert of Prime Minister from 20th January 1995 to 4th Borschette, Karel Van Miert, and Franz Fischler) [12]. December 2013 and President of the monthly meeting Their political leanings reflect the result of the elections (informal) of the Finance Ministers of the euro zone and the support provided during the election of the from 1st January 2005 to 22nd January 2013. During President by the European Parliament. This is why the European campaign he recalled the advantage of 14 members of the Commission are affiliated to the knowing personally most of the European leaders and European People’s Party (EPP), 8 to the Progressive his mastery of the cogs of the Council, notably in their Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), 5 to the budgetary, financial and economic dimension in a time Alliance of Liberal and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) of crisis. Moreover this position means that he is also and one to the European Conservatives and Reformists known beyond the borders of Europe, enabling him (ECR). to assert himself on the financial markets and within Alenka Bratusek, former Prime Minister of Slovenia, monetary bodies. was offered the position of Vice-President and Energy Jean-Claude Juncker has the support of a College Union. After an unsuccessful hearing she withdrew 9. http://europa.eu/ comprising 27 illustrious personalities. Amongst on 9th October [13] and was replaced by Violeta rapid/press-release_ the Commissioners appointed 10 have significant Bulc, who has taken the transport portfolio, whilst MEMO-12-788_en.htm 10. Gaston Thorn from experience in the economic and financial domains. Maros Šefcovic has been appointed Vice-President, 1981 to 1985 and Jacques Santer from Moreover amongst the Commissioners with economic taking over Alenka Bratusek’s function. The latter was 1995 to 1999 skills it is clear that there has been a deliberate bid to the only “victim” of the hearings of the candidates 11. Following the withdrawal of Ms place personalities from countries that have suffered designate by the European Parliament, since she was Bratusek who used to the crisis and who have undertaken major structural deemed inadequately prepared to undertake the post. be Prime Minister 12. Piotr Maciej reform. Also very few of the Commissioners from high The future Commissioners stressed their European Kaczyński, in population countries are Vice-Presidents. This reflects commitment, their experience and their knowledge of “Returning commissioners: keeping the wish not to distinguish between Member States the portfolio granted. However quality was extremely portfolio and political responsibility” but to ensure a certain balance with a “premium” for unequal due to the duration of the hearings (three 13. http://europa.eu/ reforming States. Eight members of the College can hours), the varied mastery of this exercise by the rapid/press-release_ STATEMENT-14-307_ boast experience in terms of foreign affairs. These two candidates according to their past experience and en.htm aspects reflect the present priorities and the desire their familiarity with parliament. In addition to this the FONDATION ROBERT SCHUMAN / EUROPEAN ISSUES N°330 / 27TH OCTOBER 2014 The Juncker Commission, the return of politics? political game between the parties, the desire on the part of some MEPs to encourage underlying controversy, extremely technical questions and requests to take position regarding certain political issues, diverted the aim of these hearings.