| Who's in Charge Here? |
21 April 2003
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New Presidency Rules for EU Needed
The rotating presidency of the EU, whereby each country gets to head things up for six months, has to go. The Iraq war has proved that the US will not take a European-level diplomacy seriously so long as Fritz hands off to Luigi before Pierre gets his turn. Moreover, with the new members bringing the total to 25 states in the EU, a Muggin's-turn approach won't work.
Prime Minister Tony Blair has come out with a proposal to address this, but as he is seen as a prime candidate for the job, when his own party conference tires of him or when the British voter has had enough, it isn't even going to be a working draft. There are, though, some principles that will make the presidency worthwhile.
A five-year term is most likely, with re-election possible once. This matches the French constitution as amended and the life of a British Parliament. Direct election is needed, but national pride issues will work against this -- so long as an American-style electoral college is avoided, all will be well. Also, the ability to appoint commissioners must be taken away from national governments and given to the popularly elected president.
The odds on all this happening any time soon are slim, but despite the nationalists on all sides of all the borders, the EU has achieved the critical mass needed to become a more politically united entity. That's what the little nations signed up for, and it is what the big ones have dreaded. There will never be a United States of Europe, but a democratic EU wouldn't be a bad place for the train to end up.