Verheugen: Elected EC president is more democratic, won't happen
Former commissioner says 'we need to rebuild trust'
25/07/2013 - 9:42am
Former commissioner for enlargement, Gunter Verheugen is concerned over the direction of the EU. Speaking to Euractiv, he said that there were two issues facing next year's European elections, "whether the turnout will be high enough to conclude that the European Parliament was granted a sufficient democratic legitimacy."
He warned, "For one day, we will come to the point where we will start to doubt it."
His other concern was "radical elements" getting elected, suggesting that eurosceptics "will mobilise their forces in order to place their representatives in the European Parliament better than those who support European integration."
He insists, "There is no time to lose. We must think about a way to rebuild trust."
This will not be easy, with the latest Eurobarometer poll saying that 60% of Europeans do not trust the EU and only a 51% were in favour of the Euro, with the currency more in favour with newer members than older ones.
Verheugen said the time wasn't right for Poland to enter the Eurozone, in comments that should concern Latvia, who join at the start of 2014.
"The time of final preparations for entering the eurozone has not yet come. It will, but first, Europe must emerge from the crisis." He added, "Poles must know what kind of monetary union they will be joining. There will be far-reaching changes and one needs to know that in advance."
However, he saw reform as a key to winning hearts and minds.
Firstly, there is the election of a commission chief. "If the representatives of the European political parties and factions designated their candidates for the post of president of the European Commission, after which the European Parliament selected one of them to be the head of the Commission, then such a politician would benefit from the majority support and from a greater democratic legitimacy."
"Naturally, it would accelerate the process of democratisation," he added, but warned, "I doubt whether this situation will occur."
Many feel that the pan-European parties, that have been given hundrerds of millions of Euros by the taxpayer, are not capable of selecting a candidate. Barroso was returned as commission chief in 2009, unopposed.
The former commissioner also had some support for UK PM's attempt at renegotiating powers away from Brussels, saying, "I am surprised by the indifference with which some capitals look for example at proposals put forward by David Cameron."
He said Cameron was "trying to find practical solutions to European problems. His proposals do not solve all the problems, but at least some that upset people the most. Why nobody deals with those?!"
"Don’t ask me… Please do ask Mrs Merkel and Mr Hollande." europe on line
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