institute of europe
the institute of europe of the russian academy of sciences
Analytical paper No 17, 2024 «Spitzenkandidaten system and the distribution of top positions in the EU»
- 22 July 2024
IE RAS presents Analytical papers of IE RAS No 17, 2024 «Spitzenkandidaten system and the distribution of top positions in the EU» (in Russian) by Liudmila Babynina, Candidate of Political Science, Head of the Center for Political Integration studies, Institute of Europe RAS.
The elections to the European Parliament, held at the beginning of June 2024, opened a new political cycle in the EU. EU leaders have tried to revive Spitzenkandidaten system, which broke down in 2019. At the meeting of the European Council on 27-28 June, the candidacies of the President of the European Commission (EC), the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the President of the European Council for two and a half years, with a possible extension, were approved for the next five years. The appointment of Ursula von der Leyen, Kaja Callas and Antonio Costa was not surprising, but the behind-the-scenes process of agreeing on candidates and the exclusion from negotiations EU leaders who do not represent the three main pro-European party families once again raised questions about the transparency and democracy of such decisions in the EU.
