151 Getting closer to the EU Tony Blair British Labour Party politican (born 6 May 1953), who served as British Prime Minister from 1994 to 2007. M13 Tony Blair urges EU to elect a president Tony Blair has called on the European Union to consider carrying out continentwide elections for a President of Europe, a move he claimed would restore confidence in the wake of the Eurozone crisis. The former Labour prime minister, who has hinted in the past that he would consider taking the job, said an elected president would help voters feel less alienated from Brussels. “Out of this European crisis can come the opportunity finally to achieve a model of European integration that is sustainable”, Mr Blair told an audience of senior politicians in Berlin. “A Europe-wide election for the presidency of the Commission or Council is the most direct way to involve the public. An election for a big post held by one person – this people can understand.” The proposal was one of a raft of measures that Mr Blair said were necessary to restore the confidence of the public and markets. He added that economic and political reforms of the EU should be implemented as part of a “Grand Bargain”, rather than in incremental steps, as has been the case so far. “We should recognise that the underlying, profound rationale for Europe and its union is stronger than ever,” he added. Mr Blair’s proposals are likely to be viewed as a further hint that he is positioning himself as a candidate for such a job. In the run-up to the Lisbon Treaty, Mr Blair was tipped as a front-runner for the newly created post of EU President. […] “What the people of this country want is not a directly elected president, but a referendum on our future relationship with Europe,” he added. A spokesman for Tony Blair’s office said the idea of a directly elected president was „not new at all“, and was touted by Mr Blair and other European leaders as early as 2003 “as a way to help close the democratic deficit of the EU”. Richard Hall, The Independent, 29 October 2012  In May 2014 the citizen of the EU member states were called to elect the new EU parliament. Have a look at the headlines and statistics in M 10 and M 11 and summarise the main results and outcome of the elections. 2 Discuss: What are the causes behind these results? 3 Explain how the EU works (M 12,). Form groups and prepare short, but detailed presentations on the following institutions with a special focus on their composition and function. You will find detailed information on the official homepage of the EU. a. the European Parliament; b. the European Council c. the Council of the European Union (simply called “the Council”); d. the European Commission; e. the Court of Justice of the European Union; f. the European Central Bank; 4 Compare the principles of operation of the EU to the Federal Republic of Germany. Discuss which one offers a higher level of democracy. 5 Watch or read Mr Schulz’s acceptance speech and summarise its main points. 6 There are several “presidents” chairing EU institutions. Name them and their functions. What kind of president does former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair have in mind (M 13) and how does this position differ from the others? Why does he ask for the implementation of such a position? Exercises 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 71051_1_1_2015_Inhalt_4.indd 15 21.01.15 10:39 Nu r z u Pr üf zw ec k Ei ge nt um d s C .C .B uc hn er V er la gs