The abuses and violations of the treaties are clear and have been well known enough to be common points of refrence for at least a year more, the mechanism is in place and has literally already survived being challenged in court, and all attempts at reaching an amicable solution have been responded to with ridicule at best. How long can this go on before we have to conclude that Commission is willfully condoning and aiding violations of the treaties?
You know, I’ve never been much of a fan of calls for a direct election of the commission president – I’m afraid it might politicise an otherwise relatively technocratic office. But it can’t be significantly worse than whoever the member states choose to propose, if they’re going to behave like this, I suppose. (Though I would still rather see a version of the Spitzenkandidatenprozess.)
Oh yeah, well, one should never put a German in charge of enforcing human rights and rule of law. They have limited experience with it and are always putting German industry interests above these kind of values. They’re even okay with Russia crushing Ukraine because they want Russian gas.
vdL has never been good for anything but empty grand-standing – but with a large following in and lots of attention from the German media.
I personally never understood why, to be frank.
Getting rid of her as an unwanted succession candidate by “promoting” her to head the commission was a tactical move and gamble by Merkel that has NOT paid of at all – quite the opposite.
But now envision her being chancellor of Germany instead – that mind boggles even at the chance of that happening.
vdL speaks several languages quite well – without any crisis, she’d likely done ok’ish as a figure head with a preference for grand appearances and speeches.
But leading the commission isn’t just an empty position and even at the time Merkel
pulled this stunt, problems could already be seen brewing (Brexit and democracy issues in Hungary and Poland worsening).
I hope she buggers off soon – but I fear the opposite is likely to happen, instead.
3 comments
God fucking dammit.
The abuses and violations of the treaties are clear and have been well known enough to be common points of refrence for at least a year more, the mechanism is in place and has literally already survived being challenged in court, and all attempts at reaching an amicable solution have been responded to with ridicule at best. How long can this go on before we have to conclude that Commission is willfully condoning and aiding violations of the treaties?
You know, I’ve never been much of a fan of calls for a direct election of the commission president – I’m afraid it might politicise an otherwise relatively technocratic office. But it can’t be significantly worse than whoever the member states choose to propose, if they’re going to behave like this, I suppose. (Though I would still rather see a version of the Spitzenkandidatenprozess.)
Oh yeah, well, one should never put a German in charge of enforcing human rights and rule of law. They have limited experience with it and are always putting German industry interests above these kind of values. They’re even okay with Russia crushing Ukraine because they want Russian gas.
vdL has never been good for anything but empty grand-standing – but with a large following in and lots of attention from the German media.
I personally never understood why, to be frank.
Getting rid of her as an unwanted succession candidate by “promoting” her to head the commission was a tactical move and gamble by Merkel that has NOT paid of at all – quite the opposite.
But now envision her being chancellor of Germany instead – that mind boggles even at the chance of that happening.
vdL speaks several languages quite well – without any crisis, she’d likely done ok’ish as a figure head with a preference for grand appearances and speeches.
But leading the commission isn’t just an empty position and even at the time Merkel
pulled this stunt, problems could already be seen brewing (Brexit and democracy issues in Hungary and Poland worsening).
I hope she buggers off soon – but I fear the opposite is likely to happen, instead.