Employment conditions: EU new top jobs

The Lisbon Treaty created the new top posts of the President of the European Council, the “double-hatted” High Representative and the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union.

Implementing the treaty required decisions on the pay and perks of the new office-holders.

The decisions concerning the conditions of employment have been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).



Lisbon Treaty

As always, we have to start with the Lisbon Treaty, in this case Article 243 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) (OJEU 9.5.2008 C 115/155):

Article 243 TFEU
(ex Article 210 TEC)

The Council shall determine the salaries, allowances and pensions of the President of the European Council, the President of the Commission, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Members of the Commission, the Presidents, Members and Registrars of the Court of Justice of the European Union, and the Secretary-General of the Council. It shall also determine any payment to be made instead of remuneration.

President of the European Council




Council Decision of 1 December 2009 laying down the conditions of employment of the President of the European Council (2009/909/EU), published OJEU 9.12.2009 L 322/35.


Here is the substance of the decision:

Article 1

1. The provisions of Council Regulation No 422/67/EEC, 5/67/Euratom of 25 July 1967 which apply to the President of the Commission shall apply by analogy to the President of the European Council.

2. The basic monthly salary of the President of the European Council shall be equal to the amount resulting from application of 138 % to the basic salary of an official of the European Union at grade 16 third step.

High Representative




Council Decision of 1 December 2009 laying down the conditions of employment of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (2009/910/EU), published OJEU 9.12.2009 L 322/36.


This is what the decision tells us:

Article 1

1. The provisions of Council Regulation No 422/67/EEC, 5/67/Euratom of 25 July 1967 which apply to Members of the Commission, including those applicable to Vice-Presidents of the Commission, shall apply by analogy to the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

2. By derogation from Article 2(1) of Council Regulation No 422/67/EEC, 5/67/Euratom of 25 July 1967, the basic monthly salary of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy shall be equal to the amount resulting from application of 130 % to the basic salary of an official of the European Union at grade 16 third step.

Secretary-General



Council Decision of 1 December 2009 laying down the conditions of employment of the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union (2009/912/EU), published OJEU 9.12.2009 L 322/38.


The decision concerning the Secretary-General is lengthier:

Article 1

The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union shall receive a basic salary equivalent to that of an official of the European Union at grade 16 third step multiplied by 100 %. He or she shall receive the family allowances and other allowances provided for in the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union.

He or she shall also be entitled to arrangements for the reimbursement of expenses and for social security fixed by analogy with those provided for in the Staff Regulations and Article 17 of Annex VII to the Staff Regulations shall apply to him or her by analogy.


Article 2

The remuneration referred to in the first paragraph of Article 1 shall be subject to the weighting determined by the Council pursuant to Articles 64 and 65 of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union for officials employed in Belgium.


Article 3

The Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union shall be entitled to a residence allowance fixed in accordance with Article 4 of Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 2290/77 of 18 October 1977 determining the emoluments of the members of the Court of Auditors, and to pension arrangements and a transitional allowance in the case of termination of service fixed by analogy with those provided for in that Regulation.


Article 4

Council Regulation (EEC, Euratom, ECSC) No 260/68 of 29 February 1968 laying down the conditions and procedure for applying the tax for the benefit of the European Communities shall apply to the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union.


Article 5

Except where otherwise stated in this Decision, Articles 11 to 14 and Article 17 of the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Union and all the relevant provisions of the Staff Regulations of Officials of the European Union, with the exception of Article 52 thereof, shall apply to the Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union.

Good governance?


From a bureaucratic point of view, it makes sense to tie in the new top jobs with existing ones. Once the salary and other emoluments have been pegged, they rise with the tide, without the need for separate decisions. This is an example of simplification.

If we include communication to the citizens of the European Union in the criteria of good public governance, these decisions are disasters.

On their own, the decisions are incomprehensible for the citizen. As far as I know, the Council has issued no explanatory information to bridge the gap.




Ralf Grahn



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European Council’s Rules of Procedure (Contents: Articles 1 to 3)

The new Rules of Procedure of the European Council are fairly short, 14 Articles on four pages. They build on the treaty provisions, while adding some detail outlining the work of the European Council, which has formally become an EU institution under the Lisbon Treaty.

The European Council sets the course for the European Union politically, and it makes certain decisions mentioned in the treaties, although it does not exercise legislative functions.





EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECISION of 1 December 2009 adopting its Rules of Procedure (2009/882/EU) was published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU 2.12.2009 L 315/51).


Main points

Here is an overview of the contents of the Rules of Procedure of the European Council, the first three Articles.


Article 1 Notice and venue of meetings: Ordinarily, the European Council is convened by its President to two meetings in Brussels during six months. Extraordinarily, the European Council can hold special meetings and meetings outside Brussels.


Article 2 Preparation for and follow-up to the proceedings of the European Council: The General Affairs Council is the coordinating Council configuration for the President and the European Council, and the GAC (still chaired by the rotating Presidency) is the main responsible for the follow-up to meetings.

Regular meetings and coordination are foreseen between the President, the rotating Presidency of the Council and the President of the Commission.

In case of vacancy or impediment, the President of the European Council is replaced by the member representing the rotating Presidency.


Article 3 Agenda and preparation: The President submits an annotated draft agenda to the General Affairs Council at least four weeks before each meeting of the European Council.

The other Council configurations shall forward their contributions to the GAC at least two weeks ahead of the European Council meeting.

The President prepares draft guidelines, conclusions and decisions of the European Council, for discussion in the GAC.

After a final GAC meeting, the President draws up the provisional agenda for the European Council.

Only exceptionally are other Council configurations allowed to discuss issues on the European Council’s agenda between the final GAC meeting and the European Council.

The final agenda is adopted by the European Council at the beginning of its meeting, and “surprise items” are generally not allowed.





Ralf Grahn



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Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council (official decision)

Here is the official version of one of the implementing decisions regarding the Lisbon Treaty, taken under the Swedish presidency of the EU Council.





EUROPEAN COUNCIL DECISION of 1 December 2009 electing the President of the European Council (2009/879/EU) has been published in the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU 2.12.2009 L 315/48).

Mr Herman Van Rompuy has been elected, and his term in office is from 1 December 2009 to 31 May 2012.

***

President’s tasks

According to the Lisbon Treaty, Article 15(5) TEU the term is two and a half years, renewable once.

The tasks of the President of the European Council are outlined in Article 15(6) TEU:

6. The President of the European Council:

(a) shall chair it and drive forward its work;

(b) shall ensure the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;

(c) shall endeavour to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council;

(d) shall present a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council.

The President of the European Council shall, at his level and in that capacity, ensure the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The President of the European Council shall not hold a national office.

***

More information on the new institutional arrangements (implementing decisions) will follow on Grahnlaw.


Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Educate yourself! There are already 488 Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. You can access all the posts on the Posts page or concentrate on the editors’ choice of articles on the Home page. On most of the blogs you can comment and discuss our common European future.

Van Rompuy and Ashton jobs: State of the European Union?

Few questions have attracted as much comment in the Eurosphere as the (s)election of Herman Van Rompuy and Catherine Ashton to the new top jobs of the European Union under the Lisbon Treaty. Between deep despair, vitriol and angelic official optimism, few emotional notes have been missed. Is there any sense in adding to the virtual deforestation the nominations have caused on the web?

Perhaps.

The proof of the pudding will come in two and a half years for the president of the European Council, Van Rompuy, and in five years for the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Baroness Ashton, who will also be vice-president of the EU Commission.

However, not content to wait that long, we may want to take a glimpse at the future through the eyes of a few cooler heads, experts in European affairs.



Antonio Missiroli



Two cheers and one lesson for the EU, by Antonio Missiroli (European Policy Centre EPC, 23 November 2009; 2 pages) is a short commentary, which starts by saying that the choice of Van Rompuy is fully in line with the profile drawn (albeit vaguely) in the treaty.

The appointment of Ashton was more unexpected, but despite her relative inexperience she could grow in and on the job.

The European Union does not achieve a single telephone number, but rather has a Brussels-based switchboard, a new system which may need some time to take root and shape.

The nomination debate, kicked off by the ‘spin’ offensive launching Tony Blair, and the procedure left much to be desired.

Next time, in 2014, the institutional profiles, the political rationale and the procedure must be thought out in advance. Personalities matter and public opinion has shown great interest. The European Council can still appoint its ‘chairman’, but the main Europarties should publicly nominate candidates for Commission president and HR/VP. This would enhance the democratic legitimacy of the choices.


***

Piotr Maciej Kaczynski and Peadar o Broin



Piotr Maciej Kaczyński & Peadar ó Broin have written an analysis, Two new leaders in search of a job description (Centre for European Policy Studies, CEPS Policy Brief No. 200/25 November 2009; 4 pages), where they describe the posts of the president of the European Council and the high representative/vice-president as outlined by the Lisbon Treaty.

The authors note the risk that the president and the rotating Council presidency may clash, but the permanent president is also supposed to drive forward the work of the European Council. The prerogatives of the permanent president need to be more precisely defined in the Rules of Procedure of the European Council, due to be adopted in December.

The new powers of the “double-hatted” HR/VP and the sharing of responsibilities for EU external relations raise a number of critical institutional questions.

The discussion of the points to be settled offers a good background to the decisions to be taken by the European Council 10 to 11 December 2009. The table at the end presents a clear overview of a muddy situation: the external representation of the European Union. (‘differ’ in point 6 should be read ‘defer’, I presume)

***

European integration is not a mausoleum, but a building site. Both papers have the merit of preparing the ground for future debate and decisions.




Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Educate yourself; there are already 487 Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. On most of the blogs you can comment and discuss our common European future.

New EU leaders ─ roundup

On the one hand, we have seen the official optimism beamed from the European Council after the choice of its new president and the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. On the other hand, both fervent Europeans and rabid anti-Europeans have commented, many critically.


Meta roundup

Here is a meta roundup, a selection roundups, for those who want quick access to various reactions.




An extensive roundup of comments can be accessed through Erkan’s Field Diary, Erkan Saka: Herman Van Rompuy, the new EU President; Baroness Ashton, the new EU Foreign Affairs Minister (20 November 2009).



A lively community debate is display on the web site of the European Tribune: Europe is doomed! Special ‘Nobodies’ Edition (20 November 2009).



Julien Frisch has brief comments and links to a number of blog comments in: Europe in blogs – Euroblogs (11): Herman Van Rompuy & Catherine Ashton (21 Novemver 2009).


Individual comments



Here are only a few of the individual comments that caught my eye. Many more would be worth highlighting, but go to Bloggingportal.eu for a more extensive look and for updates.



Jean Quatremer on Coulisses de Bruxelles was not amused, in: UE : Président pour la déco (20 November 2009) (or in the other comments on his blog).



For a thoughtful comment on the tasks ahead for the European Union and the selected leadership duo you can read, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Daniel Korski: Europe’s new leaders (20 November 2009).



Another quiet reflection on the chosen leaders for the European Council and EU foreign policy is offered by, European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), Ulrike Guérot: After all the horse-trading, the final two (20 November 2009).



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the 481 Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

What does the “EU president” do?

There has been a torrent of comment and masses of disappointment following the nomination of Herman Van Rompuy to become the first president of the European Council, the meetings of the heads of state or government.

First of all, they did not elect the President of Europe, but a president (chairman) for the European Council.

Secondly, they selected a person for the tasks outlined in the Lisbon Treaty, not for some imaginary role of a global superstar of godlike proportions.

Disappointment is the direct result of false expectations, in this case spread by many who should know better.

It has been described as a let-down that the Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union circulated a background paper, which describes the tasks of the president in such modest terms.

The accusation is spurious, because the paper repeats the tasks as described in the Lisbon Treaty. (Reading the treaty – or this blog - could have prevented erroneous expectations.)

Here is the text on the tasks of the president. Compare with the Lisbon Treaty:

Under the Treaty of Lisbon, the President of the European Council is a stable and full-time function. At their informal meeting in Brussels on 19 November, ahead of the entry into force of the Treaty of Lisbon on 1 December, EU Heads of State or Government agreed on the election of Mr Herman VAN ROMPUY as the elect President.

What are his duties?

According to Article 15 (6) of the Treaty on the European Union, the President of the European Council:

• chairs it and drives forward its work;

• ensures the preparation and continuity of the work of the European Council in cooperation with the President of the Commission, and on the basis of the work of the General Affairs Council;

• endeavours to facilitate cohesion and consensus within the European Council;

• presents a report to the European Parliament after each of the meetings of the European Council.

He also, at his level and in that capacity, ensures the external representation of the Union on issues concerning its common foreign and security policy, without prejudice to the powers of the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

He may not hold a national office at the same time as being President.

***

Why start by feeding false expectations and then end up spreading gloom, when the Lisbon Treaty has existed since 13 December 2007.

Opinion is free, but why not check the facts first?

This piece of friendly advice is offered freely to professional journalists as well as amateur commentators.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

EU: Van Rompuy and Ashton ticket confirmed

The Swedish presidency of the Council of the European Union confirmed the proposals circulated since early evening.

The prime minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, will become the first president of the European Council, for two and a half years.

Catherine Ashton, Baroness Ashton of Upholland, has been nominated EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy. She will become vice-president of the Commission.

***

Comment

The heads of state or government reached decisions, which was important in itself.

The nominations are compromises between many competing interests. Both nominees are inexperienced in their new areas of responsibilities, but the same can be said for the system of rotating chairmanships they are going to replace, so they have the possibility to grow on the job a bit longer.

The new office-holders can start to drive forward the work of the European Union, which requires much patience in order to achieve more coherence and cohesion, internally and on the world stage.

With the Lisbon Treaty and these nominations entering into force, the European Union advances by two cautious steps.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Expensive President of the European Council?

Dignitaries are expensive, as we all know. Open Europe quotes the Belgian daily De Netto with regard to the president of the European Council.




Open Europe press summary 19 November 2009: New EU President to cost taxpayers €6 million a year

Belgian daily De Netto reports that, according to a document from the European Council, the new EU President will earn €350,000 a year, taxed at 25 percent, and will have a staff of 22 press officers, assistants and administrators, in addition to 10 security agents. The paper notes that this is double the current salary of the Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy, who is the current frontrunner for the post. It also notes that it is significantly more than US President Barack Obama’s salary, which is around $400,000 a year or €269,000. The total cost of the President and his team will be €6 million a year.

Compare €6m



BBC News: Cost of Royal Family rises £1.5m (29 June 2009):

The total cost to the public of keeping the monarchy increased by £1.5m to £41.5m in the 2008/9 financial year.

-----

The £41m total does not include security provided by the police and Army or the ceremonial duties performed by the Armed Forces.

The cost of Royal travel, which is also paid by the taxpayer, increased by £300,000 from £6.2m to £6.5m.

***

Who elected them?



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Those funny little foreigners in the EU

Quite irksome really, with all those funny little foreigners wanting a say on running the European Union, and not recognizing the self-evident leading role of the United Kingdom in European integration. If this continues, Britain will have to expel the rest of the EU member states to put Europe in order.

Forgive the poetic licence, but here are a few examples from the UK debate about the EU summit this Thursday evening, convened to nominate the president of the European Council and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.



Labour’s Europe minister Chris Bryant hit back by branding Van Rompuy a “federalist” who threatened Britain’s national interest. And he slammed shadow foreign secretary William Hague, the former Tory leader, for opposing Mr Blair’s bid; The Sun, Graeme Wilson: Germans to block Blair (19 November 2009).



A furious backlash was growing last night against the drive to anoint Euro fanatic Herman Van Rompuy as President of Europe; The Daily Express, Macer Hall: Britain ruled by a Belgian? You must be joking (18 November 2009).



The favourite to become President of the European Union is determined to replace Britain’s Union Flag and national anthem with “European symbols”; The Daily Mail, Macer Hall: EU threat to the Union Jack and the National Anthem (17 November 2009).



The gradual loss of our flag, national anthem and even licence plates matters as much as the loss of veto power under the Lisbon Treaty, for it is partly thanks to the splendidly robust symbols of British identity that we have acquired our unique character; Telegraph View: We don’t want to fly the flag for Europe (16 November 2009).



The Honeyball Buzz, Mary Honeyball, Labour MEP, patiently explains why Britain’s own Tony Blair is the only sensible choice; Crunch Day for Europe President (18 November 2009):

This mindset has led to Belgian Prime Minister Herman van Rompuy emerging as the front-runner. I hardly think Belgium is a shining example of how to run a country. A population of about 10 million is split into two linguistic groups with three federal regions, a system which is so unworkable that Belgium was recently without a federal government for nearly two years as the various parties were unable to agree on a coalition.

The other two small countries who are realistic contenders aren’t much better. Peter Balkenende from Holland verges on the Thatcherite. Luxembourg has, as ever, staked its claim. Yet can anyone take Jean-Claude Junker seriously when the entire population of Luxembourg is only 488,000. Yes 488,000 compared to over 60 million in the UK and Germany’s 82.5 million. I am tempted to use that dreadful Americanism – “give us a break!”

The Times (opinion), George Walden: A bogus, pompous, ludicrous, overpriced job (19 November 2009):

Finally there is the comic aspect. The EU is hugely sensitive about status, though careless, it appears, about its dignity. How does it expect the world to react to the sight of an unknown former politician of a medium-sized European country, let alone a Belgian or Luxemburger, junketing from capital to capital playing at being a global power? Seen that way, Ubu Roi and The Government Inspector aren’t in the same league.

***

If you live on the wrong side of the Channel, you know that your measure has been taken.




Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Tony Blair or a ”non-entity”?

Never mind that the Tories oppose him, never mind that the British do not want him, never mind that many EU citizens reject him, for Charlemagne’s notebook Tony Blair is the only serious candidate, the only world leader (Ex-leader, I would venture.): Europe’s global credibility in the balance (17 November 2009).


“Narcissistic parochialism” seems to describe any discussion about alternative candidates to become president of the European Council.

The world looks simple when you see only former UK prime minister Tony Blair v “non-entities”. Does anyone see traces of British superiority behind the line-up of the arguments?

***

To be taken seriously, seriously

President Barack Obama is not going to rise in the middle of the night because Tony is the caller. Obama is smart enough to learn the name of a European Council president who has something valuable to say. Not least because of the United Kingdom, the European Union will continue to have difficulties coordinating its international actions. If it succeeds, the world will listen, but that requires more work than motorcades.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Best EU High Representative?

Sweden’s Fredrik Reinfeldt has consulted outside the public sphere, and soon he will have to deliver. Thursday evening in Brussels, 27 heads of government or state (and José Manuel Barroso as president-elect of the EU Commission) will try to reach agreement, or at least a decision on the new top jobs under the Lisbon Treaty.

If competence and engagement in European Union affairs decide the outcome, the new president of the European Council is Jean-Claude Juncker, now prime minister of Luxembourg. The prime minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, is a newcomer on the European scene, but he is seen as a potential compromise candidate by some, who appreciate his mediating skills and his country’s long and constructive role in European integration. Latvia’s former president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, has even less direct involvement in EU affairs, but the ongoing integration of new member states in Central Europe and gender balance have symbolic value.

Dutch premier Jan Peter Balkenende, Estonian president Toomas Hendrik Ilves and former Finnish prime minister Paavo Lipponen are among those who have been mentioned in the discussions.

Tony Blair remains the official candidate of the UK Labour government, despite being a divisive figure in Britain as well as in the rest of the European Union.


High Representative



Yesterday, Tony Barber on the FT Brussels blog asked the rhetorical question: “Whatever happened to the idea that Europe’s top jobs should go to the best qualified candidates?”

In the blog post Massimo D’Alema: Pair of Safe Hands, or Disaster in the Making? (16 November 2009), Barber clearly came out against appointing D’Alema the new EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy.

If British media (including the FT) were really concerned with competence in EU affairs, they would strongly have endorsed the candidacy of Jean-Claude Juncker for the European Council presidency. Instead, we have seen a steady stream of ridicule and innuendo about “Lilliputians”, even in quality media based in the UK.

Still, the question about the competence of the high representative is worth asking. Let us put it like this: Are there more qualified candidates in the running than Massimo D’Alema?

As far as we know, Downing Street 10 and David Miliband himself have ruled out the prospects of Britain’s foreign secretary (since 2007) running for the post of EU high representative.

Thus, the question can only be put with regard to other potential candidates. If Britain, France and Germany refuse to propose their best names, or any candidates, the pool of potential candidates is further diminished.

This is the power vacuum Barber mentions, and the candidature of D’Alema is one answer to fill it. What is Barber’s alternative?

In terms of personal competence, Sweden’s foreign minister Carl Bildt would probably come out on top in Europe (regardless of Miliband), so should the European Council (and Barroso) opt for him?

In my humble view, if each job was given to the “best man”, the outcome would be Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Council and Carl Bildt as high representative, both politically from the centre-right (European People’s Party).


Package deal

This leads to the question hard to avoid: Should our national leaders forget their joint declaration (No 6), attached to the Lisbon Treaty, that “due account is to be taken of the need to respect the geographical and demographic diversity of the Union and its Member States”?

The heads of government or state clearly stated that the two new jobs and the Commission presidency were to be decided as a package deal. They did not specifically mention political affiliation or gender, although clarity would have been preferable to obfuscation.

If we see the top jobs as a political package deal, the Commission presidency has already gone to the EPP: José Manuel Barroso. Besides, the EPP has made its man, Jerzy Buzek from Poland, president of the European Parliament (probably to be followed by a social democrat).

Is it unreasonable if the socialists want more, and the liberals and women want something before the two remaining posts are decided?

Did the process become party political and unedifying only now, Tony Barber?




Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga president?

For Jean Quatremer on the Coulisses de Bruxelles blog, prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker from Luxembourg remains the preferred candidate because of his firm and long European engagement.



This is in line with the assessment I have expressed on this blog: “If the heads of government or state are looking for a president of the European Council with experience and engagement in EU affairs, regardless of geography and gender, Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, will win hands down.”



The merits of Juncker were succinctly put by the speaker of the German parliament, Norbert Lammert (AFP, 13 November 2009).


Vaira Vike-Freiberga


If the new president of the European Council, created under the Lisbon Treaty, is chosen on other criteria than personal merits in European affairs, Quatremer comes out in favour of Latvia’s former president, Vaira Vike-Freiberga, as a woman from a new EU member state; in Vaira Vike Freiberga for president! Yes, they can! (16 November 2009):

« Je n’ai qu’un mot d’ordre désormais : à défaut de Jean-Claude Juncker (qui reste mon candidat de cœur par la fermeté et la durée de son engagement européen), Vaira Vike-Freiberga présidente! Et qui plus est une femme d'un nouvel Etat membre de l'Est, dont le pays n'a recouvré son existence que depuis vingt ans, voilà qui aurait de l'allure. »

Yes, if we evaluate external criteria, the new EU member states in Central Europe and gender balance are important, in my view, complementary to European engagement and political profile.



Despite the scope for skewed results and manipulation, the Fondation Robert Schuman poll between five potential candidates is an indication of the preferences among EU citizens. A short while ago, the number of votes had risen to 16,526 (almost 8,000 new votes in about three days) and the only woman, Vike-Freiberga, had an overwhelming lead, with 62 per cent of the votes, followed by Juncker on 18 per cent.


If you haven’t participated, you can still express your opinion. The candidates are (in alphabetical order):

Jan Peter Balkenende

Tony Blair

Jean-Claude Juncker

Herman Van Rompuy

Vaira Vike-Freiberga


I still prefer Jean-Claude Juncker for his European experience and engagement, but I admit that the continuing integration of the EU member states in Central Europe and improving the gender balance in the institutions of the European Union are important considerations.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga as the first president of the European Council could signal further integration and emancipation, but her acts and visions in EU affairs have not been scrutinised closely enough. There is still some journalistic work to be done on that front.




Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

Jean-Claude Juncker president?

If the heads of government or state are looking for a president of the European Council with experience and engagement in EU affairs, regardless of geography and gender, Jean-Claude Juncker, the prime minister of Luxembourg, will win hands down.



These merits were succinctly put by the speaker of the German parliament, Norbert Lammert (AFP, 13 November 2009).


You can vote for your favourite candidate, among those on offer in the Fondation Robert Schuman poll (in alphabetical order):

Jan Peter Balkenende

Tony Blair

Jean-Claude Juncker

Herman Van Rompuy

Vaira Vike-Freiberga


Do you want your candidate to be chosen on European merits or other criteria?



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common European future.

President of the European Council vote

Eurobloggers have actively spread the word about the vote arranged by Fondation Robert Schuman between some of the personalities officially in the running or presumed to be candidates for the new post of president of the European Council, to be decided by the heads of government or state on 19 November 2009.

Here are some of the blog posts about the vote on the president of the European Council:



Eurosocialist(e): The best of the web: vote for the European Council President (11 November 2009)



European Union Law, Vihar Georgiev: Now You Can Choose the President of the European Council (13 November 2009)



Grahnlaw, Ralf Grahn: Final ratification of EU Lisbon Treaty – finally (14 November 2009)



Grahnlaw, Ralf Grahn: Your vote for the(ir) President of the European Council! (14 November 2009)



The European Citizen, Conor Slowey: You shouldn’t get to vote for the President of the European Council (14 November 2009)


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The European Citizen

Most of the blog posts mentioned encourage EU citizens to express their opinion, by voting between the candidates on offer (NB Not all candidates are there).

The European Citizen discusses the new post in terms of principles: The chairman of the European Council should not be directly elected, but open election procedures are called for. Arguing for opaqueness is ridiculous.


Openness

I broadly agree with The European Citizen, although I see the (s)election procedures as a sad illustration of intergovernmental cooperation. This is what you get, if you want a European Union of “freely cooperating, sovereign nation states”.

But for those, like The European Citizen, who want a (more) democratic European Union, the official black-out concerning candidates and most member states’ preferences, as well as the priority given to the sensitivities of our national leaders are a disgrace. The secrecy makes a mockery out of the basic Lisbon Treaty principle of a union “in which decisions are taken as openly as possible and as closely as possible to the citizen”.

The first acts under the Lisbon Treaty run contrary to its basic aims.

At national level, politicians have to endure the rigours of election campaigns. How can it be right that at European level their feelings should be spared?

It is as if the winner of the national football cup should be allowed to participate in the European cup without publicity, in order not to hurt the team’s feelings, if it happens to lose. Why is it impossible to continue playing at national level, come Monday?


Wrong model

Valéry Giscard d’Estaing’s presidential ambitions for this post make it an anomaly, as if we needed a French presidential democracy in the EU. France is the exception, not the rule, in European traditions of representative democracy.

Anything beyond a chairman complicates the structure of the European Union, potentially leading to turf wars between the president of the European Council, the high representative and the president of the Commission.

When the time for reform comes, it is not a presidential democracy, but a parliamentary system, built on proportional representation, which is the right model. In this I agree with The European Citizen.

The Commission is the germ of the future government, based on the results of the European Parliament elections.


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Participate in the poll


Even if there is little reason to enhance the role of the president of the European Council, the poll arranged by the Fondation Robert Schuman is important in its own way.

Lively participation shows that EU citizens are interested and engaged, and that is a sign of health.

I see this vote as a wake-up call for a better union, where the citizens set the course for government.

The Holy Alliance is not the model for the future European Union in the 21st century, and our leaders should finally begin to accept that.



I strongly urge all EU citizens to participate in the Fondation Robert Schuman poll.


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The candidates

The candidates on offer in the Fondation Robert Schuman poll are, in alphabetical order: Jan Peter Balkenende, Tony Blair, Jean-Claude Juncker, Herman Van Rompuy and Vaira Vike-Freiberga.



The president of Estonia, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, has openly declared that he is in the running to become either president of the European Council or high representative, but he is not among the listed candidates.


According to Javno, the president of the European Parliament, Poland’s Jerzy Buzek, yesterday called for José Maria Aznar, the conservative former prime minister of Spain, to become the new president of the European Council.


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My suggestion is: Show the engagement of civil society by voting for one of the candidates on offer, or show your support for another candidate by commenting on blogs or using other suitable means.

Participation does not preclude you from advocating a sounder structure for the future union.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Do you find EUSSR myths fascinating? Are we EU citizens worth a better European Union? Read the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu, and discuss our common future.

President of the European Council & High Representative (Finland “informs”)

The government of Finland has published a press release with generalities about the extraordinary European Council on 19 November 2009 in Brussels. The text has been published in Finnish and Swedish as well as in English:

Government Communications Unit
12.11.2009 15.44

EU leaders convene to decide on the EU top nominations

Sweden, the current holder of the EU Presidency, has invited EU Heads of State or Government to an informal meeting in Brussels on 19 November 2009. Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen will represent Finland at the meeting.

President of the European Council, Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt says that the purpose of the informal meeting is to decide on the nomination of the people who will fill the new top EU posts established by the Treaty of Lisbon. The EU leaders aim to agree on the nomination of a permanent President of the European Council and a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The President will be appointed in a qualified majority vote of the European Council for two and a half years with the possibility of holding a second term of office.

The High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy will be appointed by the European Council acting by a qualified majority, with the agreement of the President of the European Commission. The High Representative’s term of office begins at the entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty and terminates upon the end of the term of the Commission then in office. During the preparation of the nomination of a High Representative, the European Parliament will be duly consulted. The High Representative will also be Vice-President of the European Commission.

The Lisbon Treaty is to enter into force on 1 December 2009 and the aim is to reach political agreement on the top nominations at the informal meeting. On the basis of the political agreements, the European Council and the Council of the European Union will make formal decisions after the Lisbon Treaty has entered into force. After the entry into force of the new Treaty decisions will be promptly finalised, probably by means of a written procedure, to enable the immediate start of the nominated persons in their new positions. The Swedish Presidency has announced that the High Representative will become a member of the Commission immediately after his/her appointment and the current Commissioner of his/her nationality will step down from the office.

The term of office of the current European Commission will end on 31 October 2009. The Commission can continue in office for a while without a separate decision by the Council. The Council will, in agreement with the President of the Commission, adopt a list of persons it will nominate as commissioners. The European Parliament is to finalise the appointment of the Commission and the High Representative together by a majority of the votes cast. After this, the European Council will appoint the Commission in a qualified majority vote. The Finnish Government has nominated Olli Rehn as the Finnish candidate for the membership of the next European Commission.

Further information: Jukka Salovaara, State Under-Secretary for EU Affairs, Government Secretariat for EU Affairs, tel. +358 9 1602 2182

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Apart from a few interesting details about the nomination procedures, as you can see, the Finnish government says nothing about candidates in running or even about its preferences with regard to the president of the European Council and the high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and it does not even mention the post of the secretary-general of the Council of the European Union.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. The Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu expose the real EUSSR. Read and comment! You can also propose an interesting blog post or a whole new blog (click Contribute).

Extra European Council 19 November 2009 menu

According to the press release this morning, after an introductory round of consultations with his fellow heads of state and government, Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt has decided to convene an extra informal EU summit on 19 November.

Reinfeldt hopes that at the summit, agreement can be reached on the appointment of the three new top EU posts regulated in the Treaty of Lisbon. It involves a permanent President of the European Council, a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and a Secretary-General for the Council Secretariat.

The summit will take the form of a working dinner in the Justus Lipsius building in Brussels.

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What can we expect from the working dinner in Brussels Thursday next week? Is it going to be a meal with three set courses?

There has been no information forthcoming on the real issues as yet, so we have to devise our own menu.


Menu (proposal)

Starters: President of the European Council (Absolut vodka [French-owned TM] and Belgian beer)

Main course: High Representative for foreign affairs and security policy (Italian red wine)

Dessert: Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union (discreet, but powerful digestive)


Smorgasbord?

Alternatively, Sweden could try out its specialty ‘smorgasbord’ (Swedish: smörgåsbord), which is the Nordic variety of a buffet meal, where every guest can pick and choose among the solid stuff. Combined with Swedish drinking songs and generous helpings of ‘snaps’ (shots), all leaders become brothers, as in the Ode to Joy. Consequently, the problems are solved by themselves.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. The real EUSSR exposed by the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Propose an interesting blog post or a whole new blog (click Contribute).

EU top nominations: Edifying spectacle

For the citizens of the European Union, the nominations for the top jobs is an edifying spectacle of how intergovernmentalism works in reality between ”freely cooperating, sovereign nation states”. We are spectators, offered selective leaks and plants, with scant information and no say.

Those who pine for intergovernmental cooperation should be overjoyed. Since they reject EU level democracy, they have no cause to complain when 27 heads of government or state discuss and decide behind closed doors, unable even to set a date for the decisions, much less to agree on open (s)election criteria and procedures, or information about the candidates in running for the posts.

The European Council is the electoral college, fine! This is how they have written the Lisbon Treaty, and this is how intergovernmental cooperation works.

If national sovereignty is your blanket and nationalism your pillow, sleep on. Don’t wake up to holler about people power, because you want none of it outside your home country.

Let our leaders select their president (“chairman” in several language versions of the Lisbon Treaty), their high representative for their intergovernmental foreign affairs and security policy and their secretary-general of the Council, where they continue their noble tradition of opaque dealing.

Because Sweden’s prime minister Fredrik Reinfeldt is a decent sort of chap, he will inform us when he and the other leaders are close enough to a deal.

The results will be published.


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Recommended reading


While waiting for further announcements, you could read Jean Quatremer on Coulisses de Bruxelles: Président du Conseil européen: habemus papam ? (10 November 2009).



For those who are specially afflicted by incompatible views against EU level democracy and for a “strong personality”, such as The Economist’s, I recommend Honor Mahony’s blog post: Crunch time (9 November 2009).

If you still have spare time on your hands, I suggest that you look for the latest reports from Britain detailing prime minister Gordon Brown’s lose-lose determination to promote Tony Blair and refusal to nominate David Miliband. Failing intelligible explanations, mysterious forces must be at work in the Downing Street 10 bunker.



Ralf Grahn



P.S. Read about the real EUSSR through the Euroblogs aggregated on multilingual Bloggingportal.eu. Propose an interesting blog post or a whole new blog (click Contribute).

Herman Van Rompuy President of the European Council?

Is the prime minister of Belgium, Herman Van Rompuy, now the favourite to become the first president of the European Council?



Van Rompuy belongs to the Christian Democratic and Flemish party (Christen-Democratisch en Vlaams; CD&V), represented in the Group of the European People’s Party (EPP), the largest in the European Parliament.


You can look at Van Rompuy’s web page or the official web page of the prime minister of Belgium (Dutch or French) for additional information.

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Speculation

Since the European Council meeting last week, speculation about Van Rompuy as a favourite for the post as president has really taken off. A few examples:



Euronews: Van Rompuy, from Belgian premier to EU president? (2 November 2009)



EurActiv: Consensus growing for low-profile EU ‘chairman’ (2 November 2009)



DutchNews.nl: Balkenende’s EU chances shrink (3 November 2009)



Le Figaro (France): Présidence de l’UE: le nouveau favori est belge (2 November 2009)



Der Standard (Austria): Belgiens Rompuy und Italiens d’Alema im Rennen (2 November 2009)


De Standaard Online (Belgium): Van Rompuy koploper (3 November 2009)

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Favourites, but candidates?

If we follow the latest media speculation about the new top jobs of the European Union, we now seem to have two nearly anointed office holders. One is the favourite to become the president of the European Council (Herman Van Rompuy) and the other is the front runner to take over as high representative (David Miliband), but as yet neither is a candidate.

The European Union works in mysterious ways.



Ralf Grahn

Finland vs Britain: Pride and Prejudice?

Take a look at Finland, a small Nordic country with a population of 5.3 million, a member of the European Union only since 1 January 1995.



Most Finns are tickled by the fact that enlargement commissioner Olli Rehn (centre party, European liberals) has been mentioned in international media as one of the candidates to become the EU’s high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, and that media speculation about the president of the European Council has included former prime minister Paavo Lipponen, former president Martti Ahtisaari and current president Tarja Halonen.

The social democrats, the main opposition party, criticises the government for not doing enough to trumpet the virtues of the potential presidents (all social democrats; S&D at EP level).

The centre and centre-right government tries to play down expectations. Even if the individual candidates have real merits, Finland is but one small part of the European Union, and there are fewer offices than candidates...

In the unlikely event that a Finn would be (s)elected to one of the EU’s top jobs, most people in Finland would take some pride in their country being able to offer able candidates for international posts and for their contribution to the common good.


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I imagine that the situation is fairly similar in most countries. There is a natural patriotism at work, not only in sports, but in other areas as well. The political class is conscious of both status and influence gained through international posts. Popular feeling and rational conduct converge, giving cause to national pride.

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Britain



The United Kingdom has the third largest population among the EU member states (60 million), and it joined the European Economic Community (EEC) in 1973.



Still last week, former prime minister Tony Blair, the Labour government’s candidate for the presidency of the European Council, was widely seen as a favourite, until his candidacy hit a wall. If the high representative is to be picked among European socialists and social democrats, these have rolled out the red carpet for UK foreign secretary David Miliband (but the signals from Downing Street 10 are highly contradictory, with regard to this potentially more important job).

Her Majesty’s loyal opposition, in the shape of shadow foreign secretary William Hague, has proclaimed to the EU member states that the (s)election of the Briton Blair would be a hostile act towards the conservatives (Britain). (Miliband was not in the headlines as a candidate at the time, but I have seen no supportive statements from the conservatives later.)



Practically nobody is accusing the Tories of betraying the interests of the country. On the contrary, with voting intentions at 42 per cent, the Conservative Party has a 17 point lead over Labour.

There is little popular support for a British candidate, either. According to a fresh opinion poll, 53 per cent of respondents are against the nomination of Blair and 48 per cent oppose the (s)election of Miliband (The Telegraph, 31 October 2009).

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Pride and Prejudice?

I have repeatedly said that I understand those who oppose Tony Blair as a failed European, with a legacy of “red lines” and opt-outs. Neither did I appreciate the effort to subvert the Lisbon Treaty, by turning the chairman-president of the European Council into the illusion of a traffic-stopping “President of Europe”, despite the obvious lack of executive powers to fill such a role.

But, in questions of national importance and interest such as these, I am mystified by the lack of understanding across party lines from the probable next government party, and I am confounded by the lack of “natural patriotism” among Britons for British candidates and influence in European affairs.

Cheerfully abandoning your national interests and feelings must spring from deep motives, hard to fathom for an outsider.

Can anyone explain the wellsprings of pride and prejudice?



Ralf Grahn

Honor Mahony on landing an EU top job

On her EUobserver blog Behind the scenes, Honor Mahony dissects four different ways to apply for an EU top job, in this case the president of the European Council, in Imagine that! (29 October 2009).



Since we are heading towards Halloween (Samhain or All Saints) weekend, with or without pumpkins, Mahony’s perspicacity could be construed as a fifth way, if our leaders were to hold such a quaint quality in high esteem.

Why not (s)elect someone outside your cosy club?

Anyway, nice weekend reading for the rest of us.



Ralf Grahn