Thu NGUYEN, Deputy Director of the Jacques Delors Centre, speaks about the "Spitzenkandidaten system" prior to the Eurovision debate between the lead candidates for the Commission presidency. This transcription is a result of an automatic process. Please check against delivering.

Brussels

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Eurovision debate between candidates for the Presidency of the European Commission (T)

2024 European elections (T)

Eurovision Debate 2024: Statement on the "Spitzenkandidaten system" by Thu NGUYEN, Deputy Director of the Jacques Delors Centre

SOUNDBITE (English), Thu NGUYEN, Debuty Director of the Jaques Delors Centre, The Spitzenkandidaten procedure was introduced for the first time in 2014, for the elections. And it was supposed to tie the choice of the Commission President closer to the elections of the European Parliament and thereby bring the elections closer to the citizens and able a broader European political debate. And also give the European Parliament more powers or more influence on who will head the European Commission after the elections.

SOUNDBITE (English), Thu NGUYEN, Debuty Director of the Jaques Delors Centre, How the Spitzenkandidaten procedure is supposed to work is that the European political parties nominate a lead candidate before the elections, so the candidate of their party that is running for the Commission presidency. And then after the elections, the European Council, so the heads of states and governments, nominate the Commission President Candidate, and then afterwards, the European Parliament then elects the candidate with majority. And the European Council is supposed to take into account the results of the European elections, and according to the Spitzenkadidaten procedure, if it works as it's supposed to be, they're supposed to nominate one of the candidates that has been running for the presidency.

SOUNDBITE (English), Thu NGUYEN, Debuty Director of the Jaques Delors Centre, According to the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, it would be one of the candidates that ran for the Commission presidency that would become the Commission President. Normally the one that is the lead candidate of the party that wins the most seats in the European Parliament.

SOUNDBITE (English), Thu NGUYEN, Debuty Director of the Jaques Delors Centre, What is interesting about the Spitzenkandidaten procedure is that it is not actually enshrined in the Treaty, but it is a more informal procedure that was introduced in 2014.

SOUNDBITE (English), Thu NGUYEN, Debuty Director of the Jaques Delors Centre, What would be very curious to see now for the 2024 elections is whether or not the Spitzenkandidaten procedure will take a hold or whether it will be similar to 2019 where it didn't work quite so well.