New Commission President

It seems highly likely that Jean-Claude Junker will be appointed the next President of the EU Commission, replacing Jose Barroso in November.  This is despite strong opposition from the UK Government to Junker.  This is due to a belief that he is a Brussels ‘insider’ who will do nothing to reform the EU, and the process by which he got the job, which saw the European Parliament (EP) grab power from national Governments.  Mr Junker, the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, is expected to be confirmed in post by the EP next month.  He will then start to fill the posts for the other Commissioners, including agriculture, with the nominees from Member States.  Dacian Ciolos is still favourite to retain the agricultural portfolio for a further term.  Whilst the European Commission is often characterised as being the EU’s Civil Service, it has rather more power than that, and might be better thought of as its ‘Secretariat’.  Key is its ability to propose legislation, so a Commissioner or a the President of the Commission has a great deal of say in setting the direction of policy.