The final candidate for EU Commission President in our profile series is the former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jean-Claude Juncker, who was confirmed as the official nominee of the Centre-Right European People’s Party (EPP) at their congress in Dublin over the weekend. Juncker was nominated by a vote of 382 to 245 over Michel Barnier, the current EU Commissioner for the Single Market.
Accepting the nomination in Dublin, Mr Juncker said he was “allergic” to the idea of divisions in the EU between Northern and Southern states, and he wanted to “build bridges [and] create consensus in Europe.” He argued that the European Parliament elections were an opportunity to “talk about the real Europe again, the Europe that was crafted and imagined by those who, after the Second World War, came back from concentration camps and the battlefields, and created this political programme. We must talk about this Europe.”
Born in 1954, Juncker is a firm believer in this Europe. He grew up in a continent that was only just emerging from the wreckage of World War II, and his father – a steelworker and trade union activist – was forced into the Wehrmacht during the war. Politically, Juncker belongs to the Centre-Right, but he is nevertheless suspicious of blindly pursuing free market solutions and has been called “the most socialist Christian Democrat there is.”
Juncker was first elected to Luxembourg’s Chamber of Deputies for the Christian Social People’s Party in 1984, and rose quickly through the ranks. He was immediately promoted to Minister of Labour, then Minister of Finance, allegedly being groomed as the heir to the then-Prime Minister of Luxembourg, Jacques Santer. From 1995 to 2013, Juncker was Prime Minister of Luxembourg, making him one of the longest-serving democratically elected leaders in the world. He argues that his experience (including as President of the Eurogroup from 2005 until 2013, and as one-time governor of both the World Bank and the IMF) uniquely positions him as the man to navigate Europe back to economic prosperity.
If you like the sound of the Centre-Right candidate, you can vote for them in our Debating Europe Vote 2014. If not, take a look at the profiles of the rival candidates we’ve already published and see if there is anybody you want to support.
Vote 2014
Voting is closed in our Debating Europe Vote 2014! The results are now in, so come and see what our readers thought!
109 comments Post a commentcomment
A C-O-R-R-U-P-T politician from a micro-state.
Oh how true , and also a state where he was responsible for giving companies illegal tax breaks
Typical EU. Someone gets voted out and in sails the Eurosoviet to the rescue with a potential income-tax-exempt job.
And they still want to pretend this is somehow a democratic process, using the same logic that was used for decades in the Soviet Union, namely that simply having elections (the Soviet Union had them too) makes a democracy. And of course, it doesn’t but hey let’s not let facts get into the way of propaganda (‘Pravda’).
So we now have two candidates who were voted out at home (Juncker and Verhofstadt) and one incompetent who was fobbed off to the EU to get him out of the way of the national politicians (Schultz). How wonderfully democratic… /s
Once again we seem to have someone who hasn’t got a clue, thinks money grows on trees, is a hypocrite (always vetoed ‘deals’ that did not benefit Luxembourg) and aims to have us (Netherlands, Germany etc…) pay for the incompetence and corruption of others (Greece, Italy etc…).
And the fact that he worked for the criminal organizations of IMF and World Bank should be instant disqualification. The only thing worse would be if he had the crime syndicate of Goldman Sachs on his resume also (*cough* Draghi *cough*) as in those who seek to enrich their friends on Wall Street at our expense (the Euro was Wall Streets idea).
You made me lol.
In response to your last paragraph, surely thats for the people to decide? If they don’t like his history, they won’t vote for him. Simple.
This is why we need Europe. To provide career opportunities for politicians who loose their jobs.
Nobody has the right to vote for AE Commissioners , they are appointed , and
proves that there is a democratic deficit in the EU
He is just a bad person.
Barroso 2.0.
I agree
I would not since the EPP has been the biggest party on the European Parliament and Barroso an EPP President and it has been disastrous. Lets change, europe should be more social again instead of neoliberal.
Changing for the sake of change does not solve anything!!!
Trust me, I’m from Romania, I should know better. :)
Also, you should know that “social” in terms of political ideology does not have anything to do with the “social-life” or “social-media” etc. So let’s not just throw with words around.
I totally agree. Barroso’s 2nd presidency has been the worst ever. Less democracy, less welfare, inability to face both of UK’s and farmers’ egoistical demands over the balance. The Commision even made wrong calculations over European keynesian multiplier, and once discovered the mistake, they didn’t change their austerity policy! Madness and ineptitude. If extreme right, populism and nationalism are rising again, it is EPP’s fault. I don’t think Juncker has the will or the power to change its party.
No.i support only people i vote.
maybe an interesting article to get the debate going: http://www.euractiv.com/elections/left-accuses-juncker-cover-candi-news-534090
One of those who destroyed Greece and created 1 million more jobless and 5000 economic suicides-murders in 3 years.To serve market vultures.
Sure, so it is better to vote a socialist and have 5 millions jobless people. That’s a good idea!
All the market fundamentalists must go down. Especially the EPP whose members are the first to blame for the rise of nationalism and racist hate speech.
Definitely not, he is a EU dinosaur, with him there will be no progress and change
Keep in mind, change is not always progress, new is not always better. New ideas are volatile and unproven, sometimes it is better, and less painfull, just to prefect an old design.
The best European for the job. Multilingual from a small country, he is one of the fathers of the euro. Go JC.
Father’s of the EU? Fathers of the EU is exactly the problem in EUrolala land.
NO…
Maybe, only if the ALDE candidate had no chance at all.
enough of this old generation.
Not, for sure. I prefer Alexis Tsipras – European Left.
I did not know that in Romania there are extremists. Please spread peace.
No ! I’m for ALDE candidate, Guy Verhofstadt !!!!
Mwaaaiisssss!!!! Ok… pour mettre un peu d’ordre au sein du PPE! Y a l-dedans quelques partis pour le moins nationalistes/populistes…
Europa unita nu exista.
Europa unita nu exista.
Eu no!
Obviamente.
TSIPRAS!
Eu no!
Obviamente.
TSIPRAS!
No we are for TSIPRAS!!!!!! <3
I don`t know who he is nor do i care……just another eu Nobody.
If he promises he will fight to change Europe, maybe!If he will be another Merkel follower, definetly not!
Yes. Socialist rulers in any European country throw their economies in serious economic crisis, crushing the private sector under a multitude of taxes aimed to please their political clientele. Europe needs less bureaucracy, continue austerity policies, enhance investments.
I do not agree. It is empirically shown that austerity kill growth. No wonder, since the BCE and the Barroso Commission even calculated a wrong keynesian multiplier. We need more planning and more investments or we’re going to drown while the rest of the world. Just look at FED’s policy.
I most certainly would not
european union : entity assassine ! illegitimate dictarure.
seara buna
Since I’m Greek, I should probably say Tsipras, but I won’t; cause Tsipras has no dreams. Just illusions. And I’ve grown mature enough, for new purposeless experiments….
So, as a mature person, you prefer a deliberate experiment….like the one that is underway in Greece right now making your country fall on its knees. Probably that’s the dream of a mature person!!!!!!
The last “Homme d’ Etat”… dear friends…
Creo que el vale mucho y sera un buen Presidente pero no me gusta el PPE
I won’t because I prefer the new ideas of Guy Verhofstadt and a more democratic EU ! That’s what we need.
Yes, I do!!
Precisely… who is he? and why would we support him? I don’t support people I don’t know, in an organization I don’t trust, for a role I don’t recognize.
Not, for sure. I prefer Alexis Tsipras – European Left. CITIZEN REVOLUTION IN EUROPE !
I’m going for european socialists. We must take Europe back from EPP!
Oh djeez… Verhofstadt, Juncker, Schultz…. we’re doomed in any case…. ECR or unvalid it is for me….
Would YOU support him as official Commission Presidential candidate and vote for the EPP? YES!!!
After the SREL case, of course NOT.
No. No way.
The next must be antifascist, pro-European, from outside the IMF and big banks.
I will certainly support Mr Juncker. And anyone wanting a sustainable social Europe should do the same.
Affari suoi.
Definitely No! EU needs a serious reconstruction and this party (EPP) won’t make it. The socialists are the same shit…
No!
…nici vorba…nici n-as fi vrut sa existe UE. Parlamentul…etc….
cum poti sa afirmi asta, daca nu intram in UE la noi in tara era mult mai greu.
Au intrat la inchisoare oameni politici datorita faptului ca suntem in UE si ca ei nu mai pot sa faca tot ceea ce vor in Romania (gen Nastase, Becali si altii)
http://www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2800/Europese-Unie/article/detail/3612611/2014/03/14/Voedselbank-eist-EU-geld-armoedebestrijding-op.dhtml
JUNCKER 2009: “Courage… Greeks…” in a hypocritical, almost provocative speech.
GREEKS 2014: “payback time… mr Juncker…” ;)
Juncker?… Juncker??? Let me see!… Wasn’t he the guy that was accused for an interception scandal, a couple years ago, in his own country???
Acho bem
??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???????? !!!
yes
??? ????…..
Juncker?… Juncker??? Let me see!… Wasn’t he the guy that instead of his country Luxembourg, which was 10 times worst tax heaven, he bullied and punished Cyprus, along with his company?
The only way to judge a politician is by their past performance, Did you agree with his policies? Did he do what he said he was going to? Did you like the outcome of his efforts? Is he worth another try because he did so well?
If none of the above apply, why vote for such a person? What do you think you will get the second time around? A different result? If so, that is wishful thinking and a waste of a vote.
A leopard never changes its spots. If he was no good before he will be less so now.
I didn’t like his policies, his efforts were stagnant and his character doubtful. I shall not even be thinking of him as a candidate.
I support Guy Verhofstadt.
Un citoyen luxembourgois!
Juncker?… Juncker??? Let me see!… Wasn’t he the guy that was accused for an interception scandal, a couple years ago, in his own country???
nah…not really
Who is this guy? One more Euro-taliban.
Eu tenho esperança que a Europa terá um Lider Europeu humanista e que seja um Presidente virado para o futuro Europeu e o futuro terá que passar pelas ideias valores e principios de todos os cidadãos da Europa
These opinions, I believe, are completely ignored. Nevertheless, there should be more transparency on how an official candidate is really selected for the position EU Commission President. “Selected” is the operational word here, and also the undemocratic part of the EU. Everyone I know feels the same way. We have all woken up to the fact how the key figures behind the monolithic organization that is the EU feel about the common man, that he/she are not able to comprehend the complexities of the European experiment and that only the few have the ability to make decisions for the many. Most of us have awoken to this nonsense. I actually do know some of what goes on behind the scenes and the hidden individuals who work the process and what powerful interests they represent. This information is not given to the ordinary EU citizen because if it were the game would be up. The debateeurope schema is really an insult to our intelligence and is not covering up anything. France and Holland vetoed the EU Constitution and the voters were ignored, and the Lisbon Treaty was signed. A ten year old can see through this deception. I am pro Europe but not for a bureaucratic corporatist super-state where the elite live like princes off of the EU budget while the ordinary citizen’s wealth shrinks by the month.
Awards and honours Jean-Claude Juncker
1988 (1988) – Grand Federal Cross of Merit with Star and shoulder ribbon
1988 (1988) – Grand Cross of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique
1998 (1998) – Honorary doctorate from Miami University
1998 (1998) – “Vision for Europe Award” of the Edmond Israel Foundation
1998 (1998) – Award for the future social order “of the CDA-magazine (” Christian-Democratic-labor force ”
1998 (1998) – “Médaille d’Or European Order of Merit” (Gold Medal for services to Europe) of the “Fondation European Order of Merit”
1998 (1998) – Golden Duck “of the country’s press conference Saar
1999 (1999) – European Crafts Prize 1999 “by the” trade in North Rhine-Westphalia ”
2000 (2000) – Insignia de l’Artisanat en Or “(crafts badges in gold) of the Luxembourg Chamber of crafts
2001 (2001) – Honorary Doctor of the University of Münster, Münster
2002 (2002) – Grand Officer of the French Legion of Honor by President Jacques Chirac
2002 (2002) – Cicero-speakers prize
2002 (2002) – Prize of the European Federation of Taxpayers
2003 (2003) – Honorary Doctor of the University of Bucharest
2003 (2003) – Honorary Citizen of the city of Trier.
2003 (2003) – Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
2003 (2003) – Heinrich Braun Award
2003 (2003) – Maju-media award for quality journalism
2003 (2003) – Quadriga Prize of the European Year of Germany society workshop
2004 (2004) – Honorary Doctor of the Democritus University of Thrace
2004 (2004) – Honorary Citizen of Orestiada surrender of the city of Orestiada key unveiling of a street sign and a street named after the Luxembourg Prime Minister
2004 (2004) – Golden Bandit
2005 (2005) – Walter-Hallstein Prize
2005 (2005) – Europeans of the Year
2005 (2005) – Grand Cross of the Portuguese Order of Christ
2005 (2005) – awarded the Elsie Kuhn-Leitz-prize by the “Association Franco-German companies in Germany and France
2006 (2006) – Européen de l’Année 2005 (European of the Year 2005) of the French press (Trombinoscope)
2006 (2006) – Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars (Latvia)
2006 (2006) – International Charlemagne Prize of Aachen
2006 (2006) – European Prize for Political Culture of the Hans Ringier Foundation
2007 (2007) – Foreign Associate Member of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences at the Institut de France in place of the late Leopold Sedar Senghor
2007 (2007) – The patron of the non-profit animal protection association “Newfoundlanders in Not eV”
2007 (2007) – St. Liborius Medal for Unity and Peace of the Archdiocese of Paderborn
2007 (2007) – Coudenhove-Kalergi Medal of the European Union Munster
2007 (2007) – Peace Prize of the European Foundation for Ecology and Democracy
2007 (2007) – Honorary Doctor of Robert Schuman University of Strasbourg
2007 (2007) – Honorary Member of the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Institute, Department of Moral and Political Sciences
2008 (2008) – Amilcar Cabral Medal, First Class of the Republic of Cape Verde
2008 (2008) – Sponsorship word for “zeal of the future”
2008 (2008) – German citizenship prize
2008 (2008) – Franz-Josef-Strauss-prize
2008 (2008) – Honorary Doctor of the University of Pittsburgh
2008 (2008) – State Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia
2008 (2008) – sharpest blade (prize of the city of Solingen)
2008 (2008) – Award of the Small States of Herbert Batliner-Europa Institute in Salzburg
2008 (2008) – European Banker of the Year
2009 (2009) – European prize of the service economy
2009 (2009) – European Union Medal in Gold with Star
2009 (2009) – Award of FASEL Foundation
* 2009 (2009) – Social Market Economy, MA
2009 (2009) – Honorary Senator of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts
2010 (2010) – Prize of the City of Fulda Winfried
2010 (2010) – Thomas a Kempis honorary stele
2010 (2010) – Grand Decoration of Honour in Gold with Sash for Services to the Republic of Austria[23]
2010 (2010) – Honorary Doctor of Medicine University of Innsbruck
2010 (2010) – Saarland Order of Merit
2011 (2011) – Honorary Doctor of the Faculty of Law, University of Athens
2011 (2011) – Order of Merit of Baden-Württemberg
2011 (2011) – Hanns Martin Schleyer award
2011 (2011) – Order of Merit of Rhineland-Palatinate
2011 (2011) – European Culture Prize
2012 (2012) – Werner Blindert Prize
2012 (2012) – Sigillum Magnum, University of Bologna.
2012 (2012) – Honorary Doctor of the University of Sheffield
2013 (2013) – Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer (Greece)
With a rap sheet this long he should be in prison for life!
A lobbyist.
@Pietro Moroni
You are obviously under-informed!
The UK and France pay roughly the same net contribution to the EU.
However, the UK also pays c£3billion/year courtesy of losing its fishing grounds to the likes of Portugal and Spain.
Indeed the EU CAP was a fraudsters charter set up by France to benefit its farmers at the expense of other EU nations and indeed inflict poverty, death and destruction on the 3rd world due to exorbitant tariffs imposed by the EU courtesy of France simply to protect the morally bankrupt French culture.
Excuse me, which post of mine are you talking about? I made at least 3 posts in this topic, so I don’t get the issue here.
Anyway, generally speaking, I agree with critics towards the CAP, but we have to underline 3 facts:
1) CAP initially improved european agricolture (not only in France) so that today we are the main exporter while we used to be one of the main importer; nowadays’ CAP is a fraudster charter supported only by French farmers. but at the beginning it was utterly positive;
2) Italy destroys tons of exceeding producted goods as milk, cheese, tomatoes, etc., in order to respect the fixed quota; nevertheless, I don’t think that blaming some other nations is useful or right: production quotas are good way of coordination, they just need to be upgraded or abolished, depending on the case;
3) if you want capitalism and its produced wealth, you cannot blame developed nations to protect their market and wealth, even if this implies damaging 3rd World’s economics.
@Pietro Moroni
1) Agreed.
2) EU countries destroying food just prop up CAP/food prices is WRONG. Think of the poor and hungry in the developing world. We are ALL human.
3) If we lived by your logic then there would be NO EU. Think about it, – money generated by wealthy EU countries courtesy of capitalism has been DONATED by same EU net contributors to the poorer EU nations.
@Tarquin Farquhar
2) Of course, I was just saying that the current quotas are outdated and meaningless but this is not something like an evil plan to weaken some country’s economics.
3) Actually we already live by “my” logic. :-P
Every single country applies tariffs and other means in order to enforce their own economy. Free trade is chosen only when it is possible to compete and only because it is possible to compete: e.g. China, which applies a similar mix of liberalism and protectionism.
This guy has been highly recommended by guess who ? The Almighty and The Only One, Undefeated and Undisputed, Angela Merkel… Voting for means continuity of “Austerity for all but for Germany” policy. Now, because russian gas is at stake, they will try evan harder to push their neocon agenda further. More austerity, more muffled whistle blowers, more propaganda, more corporate lobby, more gas from Russia, more taxpayer money sustaining banking sector, more disproportionate allocation of EU funds based on Germany interests, more friendship with Putin, etc.
What is doing and what will do Jean Claude Juncker for this terrible political situation in Bulgaria?
Absolutely none, in theory. Now, what are the odds that political situation in Bulgaria will remain “terrible” or might change (there are no guaranties) for better if J.C. Junk will give consistency and continuity to what Merkel and so called “Center Right” has started a while ago ? If you like to believe that is no connection between this two elements , go ahead and give J.C. Junk your vote.
@Pietro Moroni
3…At the end of the day imposing tariffs on poor 3rd world countries resulting in hunger and indeed death JUST to preserve the lazy corpulent EU farmer’s wealthy and indolent lifestyle is UNACCEPTABLE for me at least.
I’m not talking about ethics. I’m just describing the world as it is today, and it has no ethics.
@Pietro Moroni
Your descriptive statement regarding ethics is:
inaccurate,
false,
wrong,
apocryphal,
inexact and
crap.
Indeed said statement is worthy of someone bereft of ethics.
you and your ideas are crap, dear sir.
PS: learn how to answer instead of opening new posts purposelessly, n00b.
@Pietro Moroni
Your PS was foolish – just because YOU lack the intellectual capability to understand the rationale behind my postings does not make same ‘purposeless’.
Furthermore, your statement that the ‘world has no ethics’ is errant nonsense, indeed it was ‘Moroni-c’.
It was for reasons of ethics that I submitted my original post as I regard Jean-Claude Juncker as C-O-R-R-U-P-T and not fit for public office
Please, kindly, learn how to understand, comprehend, cogitate, ruminate and indeed rationalise before putting finger to keyboard, dear chap.
@Tarquin Farquaad
http://www.youmath.it/images/stories/insiemi/Intersezione-vuota-tra-due-insiemi.png
A is Capitalism.
B is Ethics.
A(AND)B=0
Bye, Farquaad.
I think that’s the good person to give more strenght to European Parliament and to begin to solve the european problems
@Giacomopardini
He was found to be corrupt – do you want the EP to be corrupt too?
@Pietro Moroni
Oh, I say – don’t go now – I was quite enjoying humiliating you! Drat!
Anyways, it seems that you like Jean-Claude Juncker lack ETHICS and for that reason you should NOT be allowed to use a pen/keyboard and Jean-Paul Juncker should not allowed to practice politics.
THIS COMMENT HAS BEEN REMOVED BY MODERATORS FOR BREACHING OUR CODE OF CONDUCT. REPLIES MAY ALSO BE REMOVED.
@Pietro Moroni
Oh, I say – you do seem a tad angry dear boy; so much so that you have made Hmm, HOMOPHOBIC remarks. I am surprised that DEBATINGEUROPE allows your rather unsavoury post to persist?
BTW, I appreciate your efforts but most of your post was nigh on incomprehensible. Did you say that YOU too thought that JCJ was C-O-R-R-U-P-T too?
His affair makes him unreliable. I wont vote for him.
You surprise me! You don’t like policy Barroso ralized. And you suppose his policy was anti-democratical. But actually you know nothing about anti-democratical policy. To know what it means you should go to Russia. In Russia are absent free mass media, posibilities to make street oppositional actions.
WHY CAN’T I RUN TOO ~~~~ I AM 61 YEARS OLD AND WELL EXPERIENCED IN EUROPEAN MATTER ~~~ AND SINCE EU IS CUTTING ON SALARIES, PENSIONS AND RISING TAXES ON THE LOW INCOMES ~~~~ I AGREE TO TAKE 1/5 OF THE PRESIDENTS SALARY AS A START !!!!! :)
I have enough of the damages he already inflicted to EU.
I support Mr. Jean Claude Juncker, Europe must be more united and more equality between its citizens.
For those who say that this man is a political dinosaur, I remind them that these politicians have created this great idea of unity in Europe. Some of us are to blame for the emergence of extremist parties because we believe there lies.
I also support Jean Claude Juncker. He should be given a chance to improve the EU. He has the credentials for the job and the backing of most European Countries.
We need TSIPRAS! (but nobody has courage to face it)
ohhh great an other obscure non democratic elected eu capo shoved down our throats, pushed thru by self enriching eu elites in brussels… my vote goes for disbanding the eu dictatorship/maffioso gang a.k.a. eu parlement
The EU(SSR’s) Brussels Politburo of Euro-marxist Merdes, pissoirs and Muppets is un-democratic, financially corrupt, and utopan expansionist Crapaudes who are trying to recreate the ancient holy Roman empire, which included the North Aftrican states of the failed Arab Spring nonsense.
A Dark Lord of Europe he is.
Current EU politicians will go down in history as the ones who broke Europe and were responsible for civil unrest and civil war , and the crash of the world financial system as the Euro crashes .