About: Spitzenkandidaten Archives

Polish citizens are happy, the economy is booming and the support for the conservative government is at an all-time high. That was the message two Polish ministers delivered to the Brussels press corps on Monday (19 February).

EU leaders face difficult talks this week on the thorny issues of how to plug holes in the post-Brexit budget and choose a successor for European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker.

European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker chided French President Emmanuel Macron yesterday (14 February) for failing to form clear Europe-wide party political alliances, as manoeuvring warms up over next year's EU parliament elections.

The wind of enthusiasm blown by the victory of President Emmanuel Macron last June has vanished. In a historic vote on Wednesday, the European Parliament rejected the innovative idea of transnational lists.

MEPs are ready to pick a fight with EU leaders and reject any candidate for EU Commission president who is not voted for by the European electorate after a transparent and open process, like in the 2014 elections.

Transnational lists are a good idea to strengthen democracy at a European level but a closer look at it reveals "a bad good idea". Steven Van Hecke and Wouter Wolfs voice their three main reservations on the subject.

The race to succeed Jean-Claude Juncker as head of the first post-Brexit European Commission begins later this month – and in typical EU style it is starting with a row about how the race should be run.

Maria João Rodrigues, who is emerging as the most prominent figurehead in the European Parliament's  S&D group, made it plain on Thursday (1 February) that her political group is quite critical of its Romanian affiliate member, the ruling social-democrat PSD.

With the next European Parliament elections just over a year away, the guessing games and rumour mills about who will helm the EU institutions into the next decade have already fired up. EURACTIV Germany’s partner Der Tagesspiegel reports.

Over the years, step by step, the European Parliament has won a share of real constitutional power. Today, circumstances have thrown it a golden opportunity to take another major step – but it looks as though MEPs are going to retreat again, argues Andrew Duff.

French Commissioner Pierre Moscovici’s name has been linked with the EU executive’s top job once the current president’s mandate ends. If Juncker’s successor is chosen in the same way he got the job, then how good are Moscovici’s chances? Nicholas Whyte explains.

Marine Le Pen and the German far-right are suddenly losing votes but it remains to be seen how long the strong socialist rise led by Martin Schulz and Benoît Hamon will continue. EURACTIV’s partner Treffpunkteuropa reports.

In the 2019 European elections, voters should be able to cast two votes: one for their national representative and another for a second representative elected by a single European electoral college, argues Giorgio Clarotti.

Martin Schulz is supposed to give up the European Parliament presidency in January, under an agreement brokered between the two biggest political groups. But a change of plans is afoot. EURACTIV Germany reports.

After a fairly restless summer, the mood on Brexit has shifted in Brussels. Initial disbelief that the UK could have voted to leave is now replaced by acceptance that, “Brexit means Brexit”, writes Andrew Duff.

In November 2015, the European Parliament supported a reform to the EU electoral law that is intended to make the European elections more attractive. EURACTIV Germany spoke to one of the legislature's vice-presidents about it.

The collapse of Euro-enthusiasm, in parallel with increased Euroscepticism, has underlined the need for the "democratisation" of European elections and for an increase in the legitimacy of the European institutions and their leaders, write Dan Luca and Alina Bârg?oanu.

Calls have been made for the structure of the European elections to be altered. But the ramifications of such a move could have a huge impact on EU politics, writes Nicholas Whyte.

Those who wish Europe well will be hoping that Merkel can emulate Kohl’s leadership, and that Hollande can cut a more commanding figure than the wily Mitterrand, writes Andrew Duff.

Fabian Willermain argues that turning the Commission into an elected and accountable European government would both legitimise the institution in the eyes of the citizens and take some powers out of the executive’s hands.

One year after Jean-Claude Juncker was elected, the Parliament is undergoing a radical change, says Michael Kaeding, who believes that Juncker’s leadership style is giving MEPs new political power.

Now is the time to start the debate on how to better organise the 2019 European primary elections and Spitzenkandidaten system, especially in light of the forthcoming European political party congresses later this year, argue Dan Luca and Dominique Ostyn.

The Spitzenkandidaten process was never going to be the magic wand, creating a new sense of engagement. But it will in 2019, if we are able to learn the lesson of 2014, said Julian Priestley and Nereo Peñalver Garcia, in an interview with EURACTIV.