French President Emmanuel Macron, who was instrumental in former German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen becoming president of the European Commission five years ago, is now in talks with other EU leaders to find a candidate. different, like Mario Draghi, to occupy the key position in community politics.
With less than two months before the bloc’s elections, Macron has spoken to prime ministers, including Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, about the possibility of having a technocrat leader of the European Union’s executive arm, like the former president of the Central Bank . European Union (ECB), as reported by Bloomberg.
When von der Leyen became the surprise president in 2019 following an agreement between Macron and then-German Chancellor Angela Merkel, she promised to transform the institution into a “geopolitical commission.” But she may have compromised her own chances by over-politicizing her role.
The current president of the Commission is dealing with deep dissatisfaction among certain European capitals with how she has led the commission over the last five years, especially regarding trade negotiations, the bloc’s climate transformation and relations with the United States. . . And Macron has been openly critical of her work.
“The presidency of the commission is there to defend the general interest, so it should not be overly politicized. Which, it must be said, was not at all the case with this outgoing commission,” Macron argued in Brussels last month.
Another official in Rome said Meloni had not discussed a role for Draghi with Macron. Officials in Brussels, including Von der Leyen’s office, are unsure whether Macron is genuinely seeking a replacement for the top job, or whether he is putting pressure on her as a tactic to extract concessions from her later.
There is broad consensus that the decision will not be made until after the European elections on June 9, when EU leaders will decide who will occupy top positions, including those in the European Council, parliament and the external ica service.
That process is a complicated negotiation in the shadows, considering geographical balance and, more importantly, which political parties are entitled to the most important roles. Macron will give a general policy speech at the Sorbonne on Thursday to kick off the campaign season, although it is doubtful he will speak on the issue of institutional jobs.
Regardless of Macron’s maneuvers, Von der Leyen remains the clear favorite as she is the front-runner of the centre-right European People’s Party, which is expected to comfortably win the majority of votes in June. Traditionally, that means an EPP candidate would get the role of chief commissioner. Germany is also unlikely to support a plan that eliminates its candidate for the EU’s top institutional job.
Commission… or European Council
Draghi is seen as a strong profile and his prestige is still admired in Brussels after saving the euro as president of the ECB with his commitment to “do whatever it takes” to protect the common currency. But skeptics point out his age – he is 76 years old –, his defense of the feared joint debt among frugal countries, and serious doubts about whether the EPI would give up the position in favor of a technical figure.
Others have suggested that Draghi could be considered for the position on the European Council, which is responsible for running meetings of the 27 EU leaders, a position with fewer executive functions but with great weight in Brussels. However, the situation has become more difficult for the Commission President not only to juggle her duties at the Commission, but also because her influential Chief of Staff, Bjoern Seibert, is no longer in charge of the day. day of the institution and is leading his re-election campaign.
It would be difficult for Macron to openly express his support for a German candidate given the difficult electoral situation at home, according to an EPP official close to Von der Leyen’s campaign. Macron’s Renaissance party is lagging far behind Marine Le Pen’s far-right party in French voting intention polls, weakening the current president’s position.
EU leaders are scheduled to meet on June 17 to discuss the reshuffle, just a week after the election. Even if von der Leyen is chosen by leaders at the summit, where consensus is not required, she would still face a difficult confirmation vote in parliament, which must agree by an absolute majority. In 2019, von der Leyen was elected president by just nine votes. And given the expected rise in support for far-right parties, her margins will be even narrower this year.
