In November 2009 the EU leaders agreed to appoint the then Belgian Prime Minister, Herman Van Rompuy as President of the European Council. The Swedish EU Presidency obtained unanimous consensus without a vote. The President of the European Council is now a permanent figure with more influence and symbolism, and this represents more transfer of political power to the EU level. He supposedly represents over 500 million citizens but is hardly known. In an undemocratic and unaccountable EU, the member states’ citizens have no say in the matter.
Under the Lisbon Treaty, the European Council appoints the EU president by qualified majority voting. The EU leaders have been saying that the Lisbon Treaty brings more democracy and Europe close to the citizens but the all process just shows the opposite. There is no public consultation. Citizens or even national parliaments are left out of the discussion. The appointment of the EU President is the product of compromises between the Member States and the negotiations are done in total secrecy.
Although hardly noticed by most of the EU member states’ citizens, on 1 March the EU leaders, behind closed doors, re-elected Herman Van Rompuy as president of the European Council for a second term of two and a half years, from 1 June 2012 to 30 November 2014. He was also appointed president of the Euro Summit for the same term of office.
Herman Van Rompuy has been described as a “discrete conciliator” and has been called “the master of the back room deal.” The re-appointment of Van Rompuy is not a surprise, particularly taking into account he has the backing of Merkel and Sarkozy. As reported by the EuropeanVoice “Van Rompuy received support from France and Germany, who admired his quiet yet effective negotiating skills and who wanted a Council president who would not overshadow EU leaders.” In fact, one could say that he is Merkel and Sarkozy’s puppet.
The President chairs the European Council and drives forward its work, ensuring continuity in EU initiatives, and facilitating cohesion and consensus within the Institution. Under the EU Treaties “The European Council shall provide the Union with the necessary impetus for its development and shall define the general political directions and priorities thereof.” Consequently, the President of the European Council has a crucial role in shaping the agenda of the EU policies, which have a significant impact on our daily lives. The European Council President also represents the EU externally. Yet, there is no connection between the European Council President and the Member State citizens. He has no democratic legitimacy. As Bill Cash said at the European Parliament “it is perfectly obvious to anybody, given the European crisis at the moment, that the real problems lie in the lack of democratic legitimacy and they also lack in the respect for the decisions of national parliaments.”
