Nominations for European Commission presidents have never been easy. For 20 years, coups have marked the investiture of this position which remains, despite all the criticism it has received, one of the most sought after because it is the most distinguished and most successful symbol of European integration. The first candidate to be declared is not always the elected one, vetoes by one country or another helping.

DELORS COMMISSION I

In 1984, two or three candidates were publicly put forward to head up the Commission, on 1 January 1985: Etienne Davignon (Belgium), Kurt Biedenkopf (Germany) and Frans Andriessen (Netherlands). Claude Cheysson (France) appeared to stand a chance, but Margaret Thatcher vetoed him. And Helmut Kohl was not very keen, either. In the end, Jacques Delors was proposed by the French and accommodated, via a joint Franco-German agreement, with British consent. In 1988, at the Hanover European Council, his mandate was renewed for the second time (it was then for a period of four years). And in June 1992, at the Lisbon European Council, while the Bosnian war was underway, he was nominated for a final, shorter mandate of two years (1993-1994), in keeping with the Maastricht Treaty’s modification of the duration of the Commission’s mandate.

SANTER COMMISSION

In 1994, Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene was approached to replace Jacques Delors. The British veto by John Major, applied at the Corfu summit, on 24 June 1994, dashed his hopes. He had, however, obtained the support of the majority of states, rising from an initial eight to 11 out of 12 during the second round. The German Presidency of the European Union took over the negotiation task. Klaus Kinkel, Germany’s foreign affairs minister, was sent to diffuse the situation. Helmut Kohl implemented the procedure set up by the Maastricht Treaty by coming to debrief the European Parliament’s groups on progress with regard to the negotiations. And an extraordinary summit was convened at the beginning of July to appoint the compromise candidate, Luxembourg Prime Minister Jacques Santer.

PRODI COMMISSION

In 1999, when the Santer Commission collapsed on the basis of a report by the ‘wise men’, two names quickly stood out: Javier Solana (Spain), then NATO secretary-general, whom the Germans were particularly in favour of, and Romano Prodi (Italy), the former prime minister who successfully assured his country’s euro qualification. Even if all the heads of government were not ready, the destructive atmosphere required a rapid decision. The 15 quickly agreed on a replacement: Prodi was appointed as president of the European Commission and his challenger was placed in the new position created by the Amsterdam Treaty, that of high representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy.

BARROSO COMMISSION

In 2004, Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, the only candidate to be officially declared, was proposed at the European Council. He was supported by the Franco-German couple, but also aroused the outright hostility of the United Kingdom, Poland, the Baltic states, Italy and even the Netherlands. These countries did not really appreciate his involvement against the war in Iraq. His ‘federalistic’ profile particularly irritated the British. The European People’s Party (EPP) also opposed him. The President of the parliamentary group, Hans-Gert Pöttering, successfully did all he could to ‘torpedo’ this candidature, considering that the position should go to one of his members. But few ‘alternative’ candidates seemed likely. The other possible candidate, Chris Patten (UK), put forward by the EPP, came up against a French veto, Jacques Chirac considering that the president of the Commission could not come from a country which is not involved in all EU policies (including the euro). Luxembourg’s Jean-Claude Juncker, who was favoured by a number of European leaders, refused to ‘hit the road to Brussels’, considering that he owed it to his Luxembourg voters. The PES did not put forward any candidates, considering that a Socialist candidate would not stand a chance, given that 21 of the 25 heads of government were right-wing. The European Council, meeting on 17 and 18 June, was therefore divided over a defeat. Several alternatives were then circulating, such as that of Anders Fogh Rasmussen (Danish prime minister, Liberal), Pat Cox (president of the outgoing Parliament, Irish), Michel Barnier (French foreign affairs minister), Wolfgang Schüssel (Austrian prime minister, Conservative), and Antonio Vitorino (Socialist commissioner, Portuguese). None were elected. In fact, the 25 very quickly agreed on a compromise: José Manuel Durao Barroso, the Portuguese prime minister. Barroso, a member of the EPP, opposed the extreme right and was a Francophile from a small country participating in all EU policies. He consciously stood by the Americans in the Iraq war and was well regarded by London. He had all the characteristics to satisfy both sides and prevent them from arguing, considering that the future Treaty on the European Constitution, which was to enter into force in 2007, offered them ‘compensation’ positions. An extraordinary European Council was convened, on 29 June 2004, to confirm the choice of the Portuguese candidate.