Juncker victory would be ‘backdoor power grab’: Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron on Friday stressed that his criticism of Jean-Claude Juncker was not personal but warned that his election as European Commission president would be a “power grab through the backdoor”.

In an opinion piece published in various European newspapers, Cameron said that the concept of “Spitzenkandidaten” — whereby the president is elected according to the results of last month’s parliamentary elections — was anti-democratic and risked fanning the flames of euroscepticism.

The British premier argued that EU treaties made clear that it was for EU heads of government to propose the candidate to head the European Commission — the EU’s executive — and not the European Parliament, as under Spitzenkandidaten.

“This concept was never agreed by the European Council,” he said. “It was not negotiated between the European institutions. And it was never ratified by national parliaments.

“Voters sent a clear message at last month’s European elections,” he wrote. “The question now for Europe’s leaders is: how do we respond to this message?”

Cameron dismissed the idea that a president elected via Spitzenkandidaten — by virtue of heading the parliamentary grouping which won most seats last month — was more democratic than one chosen by national leaders.

“It is not an attack on Mr Juncker, an experienced European politician, to say this is nonsense,” he said.

Cameron has promised Britons a referendum on the country’s membership of the EU if his Conservative Party wins next year’s general election.

Juncker said Cameron — who is in favour of staying in the union — was “blackmailing” other European leaders when he warned that his nomination would anger British voters, pushing the country closer to an exit.

But Cameron repeated that Juncker lacked democratic legitimacy.

“Nowhere was Mr Juncker on the ballot paper,” he wrote. “Even in Germany, where the concept of ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ got the most airtime, only 15 percent of voters even knew he was a candidate.”

To accept ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ “would shift power from national governments to the European Parliament without voters’ approval,” he said.

It would also “politicise the European Commission” and that it represented a “power grab through the backdoor” by the parliament.

“It would, in reality, prevent a serving Prime Minister or President from ever leading the European Commission – artificially restricting the pool of talent precisely when the EU needs to find the very best,” insisted Cameron.

“Now is the time for Europe’s national leaders to have the courage of their convictions by standing up for their place in the EU and what is right for Europe’s future. Now is the time to propose a candidate who will convince Europe’s voters we are acting upon their concerns.”