EU Top Jobs Go to People Who Didn’t Campaign

(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Landing a top leadership portfolio in the European Union this year was expected to be highly political. Not only were the national preferences of France and Germany in play, power blocs in the European Parliament also had their preferred candidates. Yet the political compromises involved in naming new leaders were so complex, the prevailing candidates turned out to be people who didn't even campaign. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen, who is to be president of the European Commission, and Christine Lagarde, the former French finance minister who will lead the European Central Bank, came completely out of the blue.  

On the other hand, those who did campaign — including Manfred Weber of the center-right European People's Party bloc and Frans Timmermans of the Socialist bloc — and those like Michel Barnier, the EU Brexit negotiator, who made themselves available as alternatives, failed to make the cut at all. Wrangling between the warring factions led by Angela Merkel of Germany and Emmanuel Macron of France pushed ideas and policy proposals out of the process, and member state priorities to the forefront.

This matters because the incoming EU leaders will need to deal with both internal and external challenges. The post-election parliamentary arithmetic will require greater compromise than ever on legislation, even as issues like Brexit continue to divide governments. External challenges include President Donald Trump's tariff threats, the risk of war in the Middle East, and China's rising power. In times of such crises, European institutions can easily lose credibility if leaders are unable to stand up to big member states.

Lagarde, who's been leading the International Monetary Fund for almost a decade, knows a thing or two about running international organizations, and Von der Leyen has been strengthened by a long political career in Germany. For his part, Josep Borrell, the Spaniard nominated to be the EU's new foreign policy chief, is a diplomatic heavyweight who isn't afraid to stand up to Trump. Having a gender split at the top of the EU is also unquestionably a good thing.

But there's a danger that when it's time for members of the European Parliament to vote, the issue of legitimacy will stick in their minds. They may see some candidates as too beholden to national politics, or to political parties, and may struggle to form a consensus. Von der Leyen draws her political support base from Merkel and her CDU party, and her somewhat turbulent time as defence minister might be seen as a drawback. Martin Schulz of Germany's Social Democratic Party has already called her the “weakest” member of the German government.

One thing's for sure: Those who want a stronger and more integrated Europe will have a hard time seeing a clear vision for the future with these leaders — even if having women running both the Commission and the ECB is a great narrative in itself. The campaign to win over voters has only just begun.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Mary Duenwald at mduenwald@bloomberg.net

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Lionel Laurent is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering Brussels. He previously worked at Reuters and Forbes.

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.