More Europe is needed

In the first five years of his terms as President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso was accused of often aligning himself with the position of member states. Now, having been given the favourable vote of the European Parliament, Barroso has embarked on his second term in office. “Barroso II”- the President himself acknowledges this – must demonstrate his own independence from the capitals, and do his utmost to make the common interest prevail over the 27 national interests. “More Europe is needed”, said Barroso with conviction in the European Parliament on 9 February: after the final endorsement of the Council, the Commission now enters into office and is immediately called to tackle various serious problems: a weak economy, jittery markets, rising unemployment, public accounts critically in deficit in various member states. All points on the agenda at the EU summit on 11 February. “Getting down to work”. The college of Commissioners proposed by José Manuel Barroso has therefore obtained the support of the European Parliament: 488 MEPs (People’s Party, Socialists and Democrats, Liberal-Democrats) voted in favour, 137 (Greens, Left, eurosceptics, and many unaligned), voted “no”, while 72 MEPs (Conservatives) abstained. “We have concluded the long process of approval of the Commission, which will remain in office until 31 October 2014 – explained the President of the EP, Jerzy Buzek -. Now it’s time to get down to work because the challenges that await us are numerous”. Buzek immediately transmitted the results of the vote to the “stable” President of the Council, Herman Van Rompuy. For his part, Barroso expressed “gratitude” for the confidence he had obtained and spoke of “wide support” on the part of MEPs. Priority for employment. In his speech to the European Parliament, Barroso touched on the main issues facing Europe today: from the economic crisis to labour, from the environment to foreign affairs, placing particular emphasis on the social problems. “The time has come to demonstrate to citizens that we have their interests at heart” and “the new Lisbon Treaty will be a means to this end”. “The European interest must be superior to the sum of national interests”, said the head of the Executive. Barroso also insisted on a closer partnership with the European Parliament and greater cooperation with States. On the economic level he explained: “We need to focus on employment, on sustainable growth based on know-how and research. That’s why we are defining the EU 2020 Strategy” to replace the Lisbon Strategy. “We are faced by so many emergencies that await our response – declared Barroso -, first of all the lack of jobs”. And to two other issues he dedicated some rapid and general observations: the “fight against poverty” and the “common approach to migration”, while at the same time working for security and the equality of persons.The social dimension. The economy, with its repercussions, however, seemed the real concern of Barroso: “The euro – he insisted – has been fundamental for Europe, because it had brought stability and development. So the single currency is not in question”. What’s needed, rather, is “greater coordination of economic policies”; that “doesn’t mean we wish to invade the field of States, subtracting powers from member countries to reinforce Brussels. That’s ridiculous! We need, instead, to concert our interventions more effectively”. Barroso cited one or two example: “No one wants to impose an equal tax system, or a single welfare system, or the same health service. But if in these fields, so vital for the life of citizens, each country were to act for itself, we would not provide a good service to citizens and we would create disparities in rights” and unfair competition. “So many people, too many people, think that Europe only means market, but that is neither just nor true”: Barroso believes that Europe must focus instead on the “social dimension”, creating common factors of development, better services and harmonious growth.Reinforced governance. During the debate in the European Parliament, it emerged among other things that the new Commission can be considered the expression of three political cultures in Europe, now in the majority, both among governments and in EP itself: that of the European People’s Party, in other words the area of the centre-right; that of the Socialists and Democrats and that of the Liberal-Democrats, which – despite many distinctions between them – occupy the centre and centre-left ground in the EP. These three groups will ask Barroso to “achieve a synthesis” between the various forces that ought to support him during the next five years. That’s not an easy task. Barroso, in response to it, simply indicated the path of “reinforced governance” and accentuated collaboration at the European level: “Recent events demonstrate that the EU can attempt responses to problems (economy, energy, environment, foreign policy…) which the individual States, acting alone, would be unable to face”.