EU Conservatives call single candidate election campaigns a ‘1950-style vision’

The Alliance of European Conservatives and Reformists (AECR) announced on the 20 February 2014 that they would not put forward a candidate for the European Commission presidency, calling the parties’ initiative for single candidates 'an old 1950-style vision'.

The Treaty of Lisbon specified that going forwards the President of the European Commission is 'elected' by the European Parliament, on the basis of a nomination by the European Council, 'taking account of' the results of the election to the European Parliament. The May 2014 EP elections will be the first time the new system has operated.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: EU elections: latest across Europe http://www.europeansources.info/record/eu-elections-latest-across-europe/

AECR: Press Release, 20.02.14: Why the AECR will not field a candidate for Commission Presidency http://www.aecr.eu/aecr-to-not-field-candidate-for-commission-presidency/

Blog: EU Law Analysis, 03.03.14: Democracy and its discontents: Should the results of the European Parliament elections determine the next President of the European Commission? http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/democracy-and-its-discontents-should.html

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