Barroso officially nominated

When the European Council on 18 to 19 June 2009 put forward José Manuel Barroso as the intended nominee for the post of President of the Commission, this blog wondered why the heads of state or government did not make an official nomination, why the European Parliament should vote on an unofficial proposal and what the European leaders hoped to gain by delaying the nomination for a few weeks.

Typically, no reasons have been given, but today the Council has issued a press release on a written procedure:


“Council decides to nominate Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person it intends to appoint as President of the Commission for 2009-2014

Following the European Council on 18 and 19 June 2009, the Council, in the composition of Heads of State or Government, adopted today a decision nominating Mr. José Manuel Durão Barroso as the person the Council intends to appoint as President of the Commission for the period from 1 November 2009 to 31 October 2014.

The decision will be forwarded to the European Parliament.” (Brussels, 9 July 2009 11850/09) (Presse 212)


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Sweden’s EU Minister Cecilia Malmström has commented in positive terms on her blog.



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Meanwhile, the political groups in the European Parliament had told the Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt that the EP vote on Barroso will take place later than the July 2009 inaugural session.



Despite the timing, after the tripartite agreement between the political groups of the European People’s Party (EPP), the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (PASD) and the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) the road seems to be clear for a reappointment of Barroso, as reported by Jean Quatremer on Coulisses de Bruxelles.



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This will intensify the efforts by the national governments to propose members for the next Commission, if they have not done so, and to jockey for important posts for the next five years, although it is still unclear if the new Commission will be confirmed under Lisbon of Nice Treaty rules.


Ralf Grahn

Kouchner drops support for Turkey

The French foreign minister Bernard Kouchner has dropped his support for Turkish membership in the European Union. He cites the Turkish government’s pressure tactics at the NATO summit and its move away from the secular reform path.

La Turquie dans l'UE? Kouchner n'y est plus favorable, reports Libération (7 April 2009).



Le Mexique 51e État des États-Unis d’Amérique ? was Jean Quatremer’s illustration of European quid pro quo on the Coulisses de Bruxelles blog (evening 6 April 2009), with Angela Merkel fictionally supporting Mexico’s membership as the 51st state of the USA.



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We have been engaged with the same themes on this blog in previous posts.

Turkey ending its EU membership bid? (4 April 2009)



Turkey and Mexico: Join the Union! (morning 6 April 2009)



USA: Adopt Turkey and Mexico (7 April 2009)



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President Obama endorsed Turkish EU membership, but did he promote it?


Ralf Grahn

Comprendre le Traité de Lisbonne

Jean-Luc Sauron was the first or one of the first to publish a book on the Treaty of Lisbon. The book, in French, is divided into two main parts.

First, there is a presentation and explanation of the reform process and the main provisions of the Reform Treaty, especially the new features. These 140 pages seem well adapted for interested citizens and students, who wish to find a suitable introduction.

Second, the rest of the book (pages 141 – 351) contains consolidated versions of the amended Treaty on European Union, the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the Explanations relating to it as well as a modest Index.

In principle, the Treaty texts are based on a version from 30 October 2007, but footnotes take later modifications into account.

The book contains a Preface written by the well known journalist and blogger Jean Quatremer.


Ralf Grahn


See:

Jean-Luc Sauron: Comprendre le Traité de Lisbonne – Texte consolidé intégral des traités – Explications et commentaires ; Gualino éditeur, Paris 2008 ; 351 p. (Prix 20 €)