Why Brussels overlooks Central Europeans for top EU jobs
WARSAW — In the race for top EU jobs, Central and Eastern Europe are sitting on the sidelines.
No politician from the region has been a contender for the presidency of the European Commission or the Eurogroup. In 2014, when parties first tested the Spitzenkandidat — or lead candidate — system, the contenders were all from Western Europe. Only Poland, thanks to its size and economic weight, has landed high-level jobs, including the European Council and Parliament presidencies.
This year, the regions prospects look similarly gloomy. As the EU gears up for the European Parliament election it looks likely the new leadership that emerges from the post-ballot power struggle will not include a single representative from the Visegrad countries.
The process by which the EU institutions most influential jobs are filled is nebulous; it attempts to strike a complicated balance between party politics, geography and gender. The dynamics tend to favor larger, more influential countries, so smaller, newer members are routinely overlooked.
Take Slovakia. In December 2017, it suffered a double blow. First, it was passed over in its quest to host an EU agency. Then, the countrys finance minister, Peter Kažimír, failed in his bid to become the new leader of the Eurogroup.
Its not just the EU thats to blame, though. Central and Eastern Europe carry much of the responsibility.
In both cases, the prize went to a Western European country. For Slovakia, whose government has said in no uncertain terms it rejects the Euroskeptic positions of its neighbors in Hungary and Poland, these decisions were major setbacks.
Its not just the EU thats to blame, though. Central and Eastern Europe carry much of the responsibility.
In the past year, the region has seen unprecedented democratic backsliding and the deterioration of the rule of law. This trend has cast politicians and officials from the region in a poor light and made them less appealing contenders for powerful EU positions.
Notably, the Hungarian and Polish governments — once the eminent poster boys of the democratic transition — have taken a sharp turn toward authoritarianism.
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban | Emmanuel Dunand/AFP via Getty Images
In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appears hellbent on undermining public trust in the EU institutions by disseminating publicly financed conspiracy theories. Operating in the gray zone between closed autocracy and liberal democracy, Orbáns regime has curbed the independence of institutions and crippled the political opposition.
Poland has taken a similarly worrying turn: It has been condemned by Brussels for attempting to take control of its judicial system and undermine the independence of the Supreme Court. The leader of the ruling party has also blamed the EU for failing to defend traditional Christian values and echoed Orbáns accusations that the European Commission is overstepping its mandate and undermining the will of the Hungarian and Polish people.
Similar shifts toward populist-authoritarianism are also taking place in Slovakia and the Czech Republic, albeit to a lesser extent and with a less drastic impact on national institutions.
Its a vicious circle: With Central and Eastern Europe not represented in top EU jobs, it is easy for Orbán and others to reinforce the idea that the EU operates according to a “double standard” and doesnt respect its newer members. At the same time, this type of rhetoric makes candidates from these countries increasingly unpalatable to those who worry Euroskeptics could undermine the EUs work from within.
Its not lost on anyone either that these regimes in Central and Eastern Europe — where clientelism and state corruption are still deep-rooted problems — are being sustained by generous EU funding and direct investments. This does not help spread goodwill.
Is there a glimmer of hope this year? Some contenders for the Commission top job do indeed come from the region: Czech MEP Jan Zahradil is the Read More – Source
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