The Political Regime of the EU Through the Prism of the Confirmation of the von der Leyen Commission by the European Parliament

Abstract

“European Studies”, as a discipline dedicated to the analysis of the EU, is structured in various schools, which offer as many interpretations of what the EU is and what governs its progress. From this complex debate three dominant visions emerge—intergovernmentalism, neo-functionalism and post-functionalism—which can be used to better understand the current developments of the EU political system. For instance, they can shed light on the complex appointment process of the von der Leyen Commission which was quite conflictual and messy. It highlighted the tensions between various visions of the EU and the deep disagreement among actors on the role of the EP in the process. Some national leaders were expecting the EP to approve what had been negotiated within the European Council with the elected President of the Commission. However, despite the failure of the Spitzenkandidaten process, or because of it, most MEPs intended to exert real control over the commissioners-designate. This tension peaked with the rejection of French commissioner-designate Sylvie Goulard. This paper assesses this sequence through the lenses of the main theories of European integration. By doing so, it aims at improving our understanding of the existing institutional dynamics within the EU political system.