Skip to content
  • ABOUT
  • WRITING
  • SPEAKING
  • ADVOCACY
  • BLOG
  • CONTACT
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn

ALBERTO ALEMANNO

Primary Menu
  • Europe
  • Democracy
  • Advocacy & Lobbying
  • Health
  • Risk Regulation

Commission to revamp campaigning rules after von der Leyen video storm

POLITICO - Lili Bayer - 14/01/21

EU chief’s participation in a Croatian election campaign video sparked criticism.

European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen | Pool photo Stephanie LeCocq/AFP | Getty Images

The European Commission will draw up new guidelines for participation by its members in national election campaigns in response to complaints over Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s appearance in a Croatian campaign video.

“The Commission will clarify the practical modalities for the participation of its Members in national election campaigns in guidelines.”

Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said in a letter to European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly, dated January 8 and published on Thursday.

In the Croatian video from July — shared on social media two days before the country’s parliamentary election — von der Leyen, Commission Vice President Dubravka Šuica and center-right politicians such as Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz made an appearance, each repeating the election slogan of Prime Minister Andrej Plenković’s Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ): sigurna Hrvatska, which translates as “a safe Croatia.”

The Commission chief’s participation, including her decision to be filmed at the Berlaymont using Commission equipment, sparked criticism and led two watchdogs to file a formal complaint.

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Linkedin
  • Share on Reddit

In a letter to the Commission on July 14, O’Reilly wrote that “concerns are well-founded” and that “in light of the disquiet and concerns raised, including by the wider public, I consider it important that the Commission clarifies these issues.” The ombudsman pointed to concerns about whether the Commission’s Code of Conduct is sufficiently clear, the need to strengthen independent oversight and how rules are applied to the president herself.

The Code of Conduct allows commissioners to participate in national politics as members of political parties but also notes that if members “intend to stand for election or otherwise play an active role in the election campaign, they must withdraw from the work of the Commission for the entire period of active implication and at least for the duration of the campaign.” The code, however, leaves room for discretion, allowing the president to decide if the member’s envisaged participation is compatible with Commission duties.

Following initial criticism in July, a Commission spokesperson said that the clip “was meant as a contribution in [von der Leyen’s] personal capacity. Regrettably, this was not made clear in the final version of the video.”

Šefčovič, in his latest letter to the European Ombudsman, said: “It remains the responsibility of every individual Member of the Commission to decide if he or she wants, or deems opportune, to participate in a national election campaign. If a Member decides to do so, the participation has to comply with Article 9 of the Code of Conduct and the future guidelines.” 

Critics welcomed the Commission’s announcement, but some say more action is needed. 

“The EU Commission’s commitment to adopt guidelines clarifying how EU Commissioners may participate in national election campaigns is praiseworthy and must be welcomed”

Alberto Alemanno, director of The Good Lobby, one of the groups who filed a complaint over the video

“The crux of the matter lies in how these guidelines and ethical standards are — and will be — enforced,” he said, adding that since the enforcement of the Code of Conduct is “entrusted to the Commission itself and notably its President, the EU Commission’s ethics framework falls short — by design — of ensuring an independent, open and effective oversight mechanism over the Commissioners’ behavior.”

There is a “need to urgently set up an independent EU Ethics Body common to all EU institutions,” he said. 


Read the original article in POLITICO

Tags: European Commission, Von der Leyen

Continue Reading

Previous Italy’s government could soon collapse over a dispute about EU funds
Next Merkel, la europeísta conversa

RSS READ ME IN THE GUARDIAN

  • We lived the European dream. Will any politician stand up for open borders? 22/05/2020
  • Europe doesn't have to be so helpless in this crisis 26/03/2020
  • The EU won’t fix its democratic deficit with another top-down ‘conference’ | Alberto Alemanno 21/01/2020
  • There are 17 million mobile EU citizens. We deserve a political voice | Alberto Alemanno 01/05/2019

RSS READ ME IN THE POLITICO

  • The Qatar scandal shows how the EU has a corruption problem
  • Once again, FIFA has sold its own rules and values for money
  • The end of Euro-bashing
  • Facebook vs. the EU
  • The real winner of the Italy-France dispute is Europe

PODCAST: CITIZEN LOBBYIST

EP 9 I What is European Racism? &How do we fight it?
byThe Good Lobby

This episode of Citizen Lobbyist investigates racism in Europe.

After the assassination of George Floyd, we have seen a new wave of protests and indignation not only in the US, but also in Europe. While systemic racism may be harder to spot in Europe than in the United States, the roots of racism are the same on both continents. Systemic discrimination is not only present but also perpetrated by the same institutions that should fight to prevent it.

Together with the Open Society European Policy Institute – OSEPI – we gathered four amazing female activists from different backgrounds:

Layla @Azzuzi – Collective Against Islamophobia in Belgium
Dijana Pavlovic – European Roma Institute for Arts and Culture
Violeta Naydenova – Senior Policy Analyst on Roma and Anti-discrimination at Osepi
Wetsi Mpoma – Bamko-Cran: Centre for Reflection and Action on Racism

Hey, it’s me Fiorella! :
I would love to have a 60 min discussion of the topics we discussed on Clubhouse.
If you like the idea, just send me a message and we will make it happen.

You can DM me on Instagram: @flowlav
Or send me an email at: [email protected]
Clubhouse: @flowlav

EP 9 I What is European Racism? &How do we fight it?
EP 9 I What is European Racism? &How do we fight it?
04/02/2021
The Good Lobby
EP 8 I How should lobbying be regulated?
02/12/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep7 I Why civil society matters in a post Covid-19 world
13/06/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep 6 I Why academics must work for society
20/05/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep 5 I Why people work for free? The PRO BONO phenomenon
08/05/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep 4 I The future of digital activism
24/04/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep 3 I The business of lobbying – New scenarios during the Covid-19 outbreak
09/04/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep. 2 I European Citizens' Initiative: lobbying for citizens without borders
24/03/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep. 1 I Lobbying. What is it? Can Citizens do it?
21/02/2020
The Good Lobby
Ep. 0 I Intro
27/01/2020
The Good Lobby
Search Results placeholder

SEARCH BY TAG

Alessandro Chiocchetti Aljazeera Angela Merkel Ashoka Bloomberg Brexit Citizen Lobbying COVID-19 Davos Didier Reynders digital EU elections Europe European Commission European Parliament Fake News Forbes France Future of Europe Italy Le Monde lobbying Macron Mario Draghi Meloni Michel Barnier Neelie Kroes Netherlands Olaf Scholz orban Poland Politico politics Qatar Qatargate Renzi Russia The Good Lobby The Guardian Trump Uber Files Ukraine vaccine Von der Leyen World Cup

ARCHIVES

  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
Copyright © Alberto Alemanno - All rights reserved. 2020–2023 | Designed by Mila Branders
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookies PolicyACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT