Delors, Sutherland join call for radical reforms in EU

A radical proposal to give a democratic mandate to the next President of the European Commission was launched yesterday by its former president, Mr Jacques Delors, and a group of senior EU political figures including the former Irish commissioner, Mr Peter Sutherland.

Firing the first public shots in next year's succession battle, Mr Delors yesterday called on EU prime ministers to allow European political parties to nominate their candidates for the post before the European election next June and to use their manifestos and the election debate to seek a mandate for the approach of their candidate.

The decision about who would succeed Mr Jacques Santer, would, he stressed, still remain the prerogative of heads of government, in conformity with the treaty. But he asked: "How could the Council not take account of a democratic debate?" Such a debate would be a small but significant step in bridging the EU's democratic deficit and in giving a genuine legitimacy to the Presidency of the Commission.

It could also contribute, he said, to lifting the preoccupations of the European Parliament campaign away from domestic concerns to European issues.

The group supporting the declaration yesterday included several potential candidates for the Commission Presidency, notably the former Spanish and Italian prime ministers, Mr Felipe Gonzales and Mr Giuliano Amato, and the former Austrian chancellor, Mr Franz Vranitsky, although Mr Delors insisted the declaration stood on its own merits and its supporters had no one candidate in mind.

Mr Sutherland has also widely been mentioned as a potential candidate for the job although yesterday he said his hat was not in the ring. Mr Gonzales was also vague about his intentions. Mr Sutherland, who was not present at the press conference, told The Irish Times that "there is a real problem in the EU of an apparent governance without proper communication to the electorate. This proposal is a small step to increase participation and the transparent discussion of ideas".

He acknowledged, however, the problem involved in convincing prime ministers - "the real issue is whether the prime ministers who reflect the leadership of political party groupings in the EU, will see the advantage of a more transparent system rather than seeking to do business in smokefilled rooms. "Ultimately the direct election of a European President would not be a bad thing, but it's too soon," Mr Sutherland said, referring to a proposal aired publicly by the former Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, in 1996.

The Delors proposals would certainly make it easier for a candidate like Mr Sutherland, whose home government might not be an enthusiastic supporter, to emerge as a real challenger. It would be difficult for a small country not to endorse the candidature of someone who had won a significant mandate through the election.

Currently the Parliament is allowed to vote on the new Commission, but has no input to its composition. And the Amsterdam Treaty strengthens the political independence of the Commission President by allowing for a role in choosing the rest of his Commission team. The proposal was formulated originally by the new Italian nominee to the European Central Bank, Prof Tommaso Padoa Schioppa, in a paper for the group entitled From The Single Currency To The Single Ballot Box.

Among other supporters of the declaration, mostly from the Christian democrat/social democrat mainstream of European politics, are the former Dutch prime minister, Mr Ruud Lubbers, the Catalan Prime Minister, Mr Jordi Pujol, the former Monnet aide and academic, Prof Max Kohn stamm, trade union leaders from France and Belgium, Ms Nicole Notat and Ms Mia de Vits, and the former Portuguese president, Mr Mario Soares.

Asked about the suggestion of France's President Chirac that he should chair an EU committee on reform of the institutions, Mr Delors would only say he had suggested such a committee a year ago and that he had never refused to take on such tasks in the past.