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<blockquote data-quote="Mad as Fish" data-source="post: 141562" data-attributes="member: 396"><p>An excellent summary of how democracy doesn't work within the EU from a lady by the name of Ulrika Hjelm on Linkeden. Note how Macron is once again front and centre when it comes to the obstruction of choice -</p><p></p><p></p><p><em>You never voted for Ursula von der Leyen, because the office of President of the European Commission is not a vessel of democratic legitimacy — it is, rather, the product of strategic negotiation and the delicate balancing of power among Europe’s political elites.</em></p><p><em></em></p><p><em><em>In 2019, the European Council, comprising the heads of state and government of member states, nominated von der Leyen through closed-door deliberations, deliberately bypassing the so-called Spitzenkandidat system. Her nomination scraped through the European Parliament by a mere nine votes. The process is consciously opaque: national governments are loath to empower 450 million citizens to elevate a single figure capable of unsettling the political equilibrium that underpins the Union. The ceremonial framework offers the illusion of democracy, while the real levers of power operate within private corridors of influence.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>Following the 2019 European elections, conventional wisdom anticipated that the next Commission President would emerge through the Spitzenkandidat principle — the informal norm whereby the largest party in the European Parliament sees its lead candidate assume the post. By that logic, Manfred Weber, the German centre-right contender, should have been the frontrunner.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>Weber, however, confronted substantial obstacles: Emmanuel Macron openly opposed the system, and several EU leaders judged him politically inexperienced for the role. Simultaneously, Frans Timmermans, the centre-left candidate, faced staunch resistance from Eastern European member states, which regarded his assertive rule-of-law agenda as a threat to their national sovereignty.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>The resolution was a classic elite compromise: both lead candidates were set aside in favour of an individual with established credibility, diplomatic dexterity, and a deliberately low political profile. Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Defence Minister and a loyalist of Angela Merkel, fulfilled these criteria. She emerged at the eleventh hour, yet her nomination resolved the member states’ immediate political impasse with minimal disruption.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>The narrow margin of her parliamentary approval underscored the symbolic nature of legitimacy: her authority derived not from a popular mandate, but from acceptability among a sufficient number of power brokers.</em></em></p><p><em><em></em></em></p><p><em><em>Bypassing the Spitzenkandidat system continues to shape EU politics. It constitutes a latent crisis of trust between citizens and Brussels — a persistent legitimacy gap that exposes the tension between popular expectations and elite governance. Each instance in which the Union prioritises power-balance over voter participation reinforces the perception of an institution effectively governed behind closed doors, where accountability and transparency remain perpetually contested.</em></em></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Mad as Fish, post: 141562, member: 396"] An excellent summary of how democracy doesn't work within the EU from a lady by the name of Ulrika Hjelm on Linkeden. Note how Macron is once again front and centre when it comes to the obstruction of choice - [I]You never voted for Ursula von der Leyen, because the office of President of the European Commission is not a vessel of democratic legitimacy — it is, rather, the product of strategic negotiation and the delicate balancing of power among Europe’s political elites. [I]In 2019, the European Council, comprising the heads of state and government of member states, nominated von der Leyen through closed-door deliberations, deliberately bypassing the so-called Spitzenkandidat system. Her nomination scraped through the European Parliament by a mere nine votes. The process is consciously opaque: national governments are loath to empower 450 million citizens to elevate a single figure capable of unsettling the political equilibrium that underpins the Union. The ceremonial framework offers the illusion of democracy, while the real levers of power operate within private corridors of influence. Following the 2019 European elections, conventional wisdom anticipated that the next Commission President would emerge through the Spitzenkandidat principle — the informal norm whereby the largest party in the European Parliament sees its lead candidate assume the post. By that logic, Manfred Weber, the German centre-right contender, should have been the frontrunner. Weber, however, confronted substantial obstacles: Emmanuel Macron openly opposed the system, and several EU leaders judged him politically inexperienced for the role. Simultaneously, Frans Timmermans, the centre-left candidate, faced staunch resistance from Eastern European member states, which regarded his assertive rule-of-law agenda as a threat to their national sovereignty. The resolution was a classic elite compromise: both lead candidates were set aside in favour of an individual with established credibility, diplomatic dexterity, and a deliberately low political profile. Ursula von der Leyen, Germany’s Defence Minister and a loyalist of Angela Merkel, fulfilled these criteria. She emerged at the eleventh hour, yet her nomination resolved the member states’ immediate political impasse with minimal disruption. The narrow margin of her parliamentary approval underscored the symbolic nature of legitimacy: her authority derived not from a popular mandate, but from acceptability among a sufficient number of power brokers. Bypassing the Spitzenkandidat system continues to shape EU politics. It constitutes a latent crisis of trust between citizens and Brussels — a persistent legitimacy gap that exposes the tension between popular expectations and elite governance. Each instance in which the Union prioritises power-balance over voter participation reinforces the perception of an institution effectively governed behind closed doors, where accountability and transparency remain perpetually contested.[/I][/I] [/QUOTE]
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