The Making of a European President

This book tells the inside story of Europe's first presidential campaign, the candidates, how they were chosen, the campaign trail, the TV debates and the tense negotiations which followed. It explains what led to this new way of choosing the Commission president and what it means for the future of the EU. This book tells the inside story of how a "putsch" was organised in a Europe in crisis, how a small group of European politicians from different parties brought about the biggest change in twenty years in the way the EU decides its leadership. The authors describe first-hand Europe's first presidential campaign, the personalities, how the candidates were chosen, the controversies and incidents on the campaign trail, the policy differences, the rallies in the battleground states, the use of social media, and the TV debates. It gives a blow-by-blow account of how Europe's most powerful leading governments were forced to make a humiliating climb-down and accept the election of a leader they did not support, chosen by a process they opposed. But the book also analyses critically this new way of electing the President, what needs to change for 2019, and sets what happened in a broader historical context. A unique trip to the "kitchen" of EU politics Cover Contents List of Tables Foreword Preface Acknowledgements About the Authors List of Abbreviations Prologue 1 The Fragile State of the Union, 2014 1.1 A portrait of the Union after six years of crisis 1.2 A union falling apart? The increase in divisions between and within member states 1.3 The increasing gap between citizens and politicians 2 Take Me to Your President, or What Is the Role of the President of the Commission? 2.1 The nature of the beast: Regulatory authority or political executive? 2.2 The chosen men and how they got there 2.3 A presidency or a primus inter pares? The changing role and style of the Commission presidency 2.4 Restructuring an enlarged Commission? 2.5 All the President’s men (and woman) Conclusion 3 A Modest Proposal: How the Idea of Lead Candidates Emerged 3.1 How the argument plays out 3.2 How appointing the Commission President has changed in principle and in practice 3.3 How the link with the elections ended up in the Treaty 3.4 How the jump was made from a link to the elections to a first presidential election 4 The Idea Enters the Political Arena 4.1 European political parties, the broadest of churches 4.2 The first tentative steps 4.3 The Socialist conversion 4.4 The parties play catch-up 4.5 The Commission gives its blessing 5 Hopefuls and Runners: About the Candidates 5.1 The parties make their picks 6 On the Road 6.1 The staggering challenge of a pan-European campaign 6.2 Behind the scenes in the campaigns 6.3 The candidates on tour 6.4 What the candidates said 6.5 Some controversy on the campaign trail 6.6 The debates 6.7 Media and communication: Something is different this time 7 Deconstructing the Results 8 The Lady Is for Turning, or How the Battle Was Won 9 An Experience to Be Repeated? What Happened Here and What Happens Next? 9.1 What changed? 9.2 What can and should change next time? Notes Bibliography Index "This book tells the inside story of how a "putsch" was organised in a Europe in crisis, how a small group of European politicians from different parties brought about the biggest change in twenty years in the way the EU decides its leadership. The authors describe first-hand Europe's first presidential campaign, the personalities, how the candidates were chosen, the controversies and incidents on the campaign trail, the policy differences, the rallies in the battleground states, the use of social media, and the TV debates. It gives a blow-by-blow account of how Europe's most powerful leading governments were forced to make a humiliating climb-down and accept the election of a leader they did not support, chosen by a process they opposed. But the book also analyses critically this new way of electing the President, what needs to change for 2019, and sets what happened in a broader historical context. A unique trip to the "kitchen" of EU politics."--Publisher's website