Van Rompuy stirs MEPs’ ire

Some MEPs have reacted with predictable indignation to remarks by Herman Van Rompuy, the president of the European Council, that cast doubt on the value of the Spitzenkandidaten exercise by which European political parties are putting forward candidates to be president of the European Commission.

In an interview with German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, Van Rompuy said that turnout in European Parliament elections was low because citizens knew that decisions were taken by national governments as well as by MEPs.

Van Rompuy declared that he was not “an enthusiastic supporter” of the idea of Spitzenkandidaten. He doubted whether the choice would influence the behaviour of voters, since election results depended on “national sensitivities” that had nothing to do with Europe or with candidates from the political groups.

Hannes Swoboda, leader of the Socialists and Democrats group of MEPs, responded via Twitter that the interview was “scandalous”. Andrew Duff, a British Liberal MEP, referred to Van Rompuy’s “contempt” for MEPs.

Whatever his motives, Van Rompuy is surely right to observe that the credibility of the Parliament requires an improved turnout. Even if EU leaders followed the Spitzenkandidaten process to the letter and accepted one of the official candidates of the political groups as president of the Commission, the Parliament will be damaged if turnout in the election falls.

It may be early to judge the success of the Spitzenkandidaten exercise, but Van Rompuy is surely right to point out that the Spitzenkandidaten exercise is no panacea for the EU’s problems, which will be made much worse if voter turnout suffers a further decline.

A longer version of this article can be found at EuropeanVoice.com

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