Now the EU has really embarrassed itself

 

EU
Now the EU has really embarrassed itself
The vote was a fiasco

Susanna Kierkegaard

Aftonbladet's editorial page is independent social democratic.

Published 4:00 p.m

         

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the Speaker of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, hold up a document in the plenary hall in Strasbourg. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Parliament Speaker  Roberta    Metsola after Parliament approved the commissioners on 27 November. Photo: Jean-Francois Badias / AP 

 

Carl-Oskar Bohlin has low self-confidence

Less than a week ago, the European Parliament proved totally inept. Parliament is involved in an eternal power struggle with the EU Commission. When the members won the right to question and then approve or reject the candidates for the European Commission, it was an incredible win.

After the last EU election, the possibility of max. The commissioner candidates who did not meet the criteria were replaced. The people got good value for their votes, one might say.

This time the hearings and subsequent negotiations were a real fiasco. All candidates were approved. Even those who did objectively poorly – among them Sweden's Jessika Roswall (M) – were saved with the help of political cow trading.

The focus of the negotiations was on national affairs, rather than the best interests of the Union. There was an argument about floods in Spain. The Commission's German president, Ursula von der Leyen, shamelessly promised to focus on the car industry, as if by chance just before the new elections in her home country.

The EU has been on the loose lately. The Union has probably never been needed as much as now,  A small slip can have big consequences.

During the pandemic, the EU was on top, despite the crisis. The member countries stuck together despite extreme pressures, procured vaccines jointly and borrowed jointly to kick-start the economy.

Now we are facing a couple of chaotic years with Donald Trump as American president. The EU will have to deal with tariffs and a totally unpredictable international playing field. Despite that, they have not succeeded in setting out a clear direction or preparing a response to the change. Ursula von der Leyen did not even mention Trump's election win in her speech after the commissioners were approved.

Vladimir Putin does not seem to be backing down, rather the threat to the EU has increased. The Union does not agree on what defense cooperation should look like in the coming years. Europe will have to fend for itself to a greater degree after Trump takes office. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether or how the EU can complement NATO.

Global warming is becoming increasingly difficult to manage. Rich countries are inexplicably reluctant to invest in climate action in the parts of the world where they would do the most good. Even within the EU, the work has come to fruition.

 At the time, the authoritarian governments of Hungary and Poland were the EU's main concern. Now the problems have only grown.

A couple of years ago, the EU was a reasonable vioce in a crazy world. We could be proud of the world's best emissions trading system and the support for Ukraine. At the time, the authoritarian governments of Hungary and Poland were the EU's main concern. Now the problems have only grown.

 In a way, it is understandable that you want to get the EU commissioners in place as quickly as possible when the world is shaking. The European Parliament approved them anyway. Now we'll see if they do any good.