European Parliament approves Jean-Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission: Juncker has been elected President of the European Commission by a strong majority of 422 votes for, 250 against, 47 abstained, 10 invalid.
After being proposed as candidate for Commission President by the European Council on 27 June 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker needed a majority of 376 votes in the European Parliament.
Speaking ahead of the vote, he presented his political guidelines for the next European Commission as set out in a document entitled A new start for Europe: on ten policy areas. Jean-Claude Juncker’s Political Guidelines to restore European citizens’ confidence.
The report on the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon with respect to the European Parliament (2013/2130(INI) Stresses the need to strengthen the Commission’s democratic legitimacy.
The European Parliament is the only directly elected body in the EU Ït is doubtful, that European Constitution project would gain more support within the European population if it does not strengthen the democratic accountability of European Parliament.
The report on the implementation of the Treaty of Lisbon with respect to the European Parliament is intended to simplify this picture,and the way in which decisions are taken. For the first time, a direct link has thereby been established between the outcome of the European Parliament elections and the proposal of the President of the European Commission.
This follows long-standing calls from the European Parliament echoed and repeated over several decades.
It has the potential to insert a very necessary additional dose of democratic legitimacy into the European decision-making process,including a general ‘tidying-up’ exercise by providing for clearer legal bases where the Union already acts with the Member States, in line with the rules and practices of parliamentary democracy, but also to make sure that the EU acts only in cases where it can bring an added value. It also is a unique opportunity for a fresh start.
