Mixed vote from Labour MEPs for Commission president with electoral backing

Labour MEPs all registered different votes on whether the next European Commissinon president should have a credible link with the results of the 2024 elections.

Commission presidents are selected by member state governments within the EU Council, despite calls from major parties, such as the centre-right EPP, to appoint the leader of the winning party in the European elections.

On Tuesday, the European adopted proposals – by 365 votes to 178 against, and 71 abstentions – that call for the election of the next EC president.

While Nationalist MEP David Casa voted in favour, mirroring the long-held EPP view of having a ‘spitzenkandidat’ system in place, only Labour MEP Cyrus Engerer voted in favour.

Labour MEP Alfred Sant voted again, while colleagues Alex Agius Saliba and Josianne Cutajar did not register their vote.

MEPs want the next EC president to be chosen by a majority in Parliament, in line with the Lisbon Treaty, they say, and for backroom deals at the European Council to stop.

“MEPs want a binding agreement between Parliament and the European Council to ensure that European political parties and parliamentary groups begin negotiations on a common candidate immediately after the elections and before the European Council makes a proposal,” the Parliament said.

The lead candidate of the party with the most seats in Parliament should lead the process in the first round of negotiations, with Parliament’s President steering the process if needed.

MEPs also expect that a ‘legislature agreement’ should be made between the political parties and groups, as a way of securing a majority in Parliament, as a basis for the Commission’s work programme, and as a guarantee, to European voters, of a coherent follow-up to the elections.

“Voters need clarity on how their vote will affect the choice of the people and policies of the EU. Unlike in 2019, we must not make promises we cannot keep. The lead candidate process needs to become credible again. Whoever is elected President of the newly formed Commission requires a clear mandate from the voters and a majority in Parliament,” said co-rapporteur Sven Simon (EPP).

Co-rapporteur Domènec Ruiz Devesa (S&D, ES) said: “We have paved the way for recommendations to the European political parties to strengthen the European dimension of electoral campaigns ahead of the 2024 elections. We need to make the European political parties’ logos and their public messages more visible. We would also like to see concrete post-electoral procedures to increase the visibility of the role played by the European political parties in electing the Commission President and strengthen the electoral rights of all European citizens.”