"Lack of clarity about the rules of the game"/ Alemanno: Even Von der Leyen is not sure that he will be elected to the EP

2024-05-25 21:27:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

"Lack of clarity about the rules of the game"/ Alemanno: Even Von der

Professor Alberto Alemanno has stated that the ability of the EU to translate the result of the new EP elections has become more difficult.

Invited to Ditmir Bushati's podcast, Publc Square, Alemanno stated that 20 years ago it was easier to identify who would lead the European Commission, while in 2024 this seems more complicated.

According to Professor Alemanno, in 2019 it took several weeks to determine the President of the European Commission, while in 2024 more time will be needed to reach such a political compromise.

Alemammo points out that in 2024 there is a lack of clarity in the rules of the game. He underlines that even Von der Leyen, who seems to be the most likely candidate for this position, has no certainty that she will ultimately be chosen by the heads of state and government.

He adds that, all this impossibility to read the system as a reflection of citizens' votes in a political majority makes it a much more difficult exercise than in EU member states, or in any other country in the world.

"Over time, the ability of the EU to translate the result of new elections and into a new political leadership has become more difficult.

15-20 years ago it was easy to identify who could lead the commission, the EP presidency, key positions such as the European Central Bank.

Now everything is more complicated. We have seen it in 2019 as European leaders took several weeks to determine the president of the European Commission.

We can expect that in 2024 more time will be needed to reach such a political compromise, to Europeanize this political process in some way, to make it easier.

In 2009 in the Lisbon treaty, which was the last time we changed the rules of the game, it was stipulated that each party had to appoint a main candidate a spitzenkandidaten, to use the German term that comes from that electoral system.

The idea was very simple. The idea was to show the voter that his or her vote would be tied to the political color of Europe's next government.

The idea was to show the voter that his or her vote would be tied to the political color of Europe's next government.

The system worked fine only once. In 2014 when the main leaders of the European populist parties took the majority of the votes, Mr. Juncker became President of the Commission.

In 2019, the same did not happen. None of the spitzenkandidaten, none of the candidates suggested by the European political parties were elected.

Mr. Webber, who in principle was the winner at the cards, was sidelined by the heads of state and government of the European Council, who very carefully chose the defense minister of the time, Mrs. Von der Leyen, who unexpectedly became the next president of the European Commission without running for EP and not having a political program ready.

In 2024, there is again a lack of clarity about the rules of the game.

Whether each political party has selected a candidate, at least one candidate, from the green wing to the right wing to the far right, not even Mrs Von der Leyen, who appears to be the most likely candidate for the position, is certain which will ultimately be chosen by the heads of state and government.

So, all this impossibility to read the system as a reflection of the citizens' votes in a political majority makes it a much more difficult exercise than in the EU member states, or in any other country in the world", he said. Professor Alemanno in Public Square with Ditmir Bushati./ CNA