The Making of a European President, and What Needs to Change for 2019 +++ CHANGE OF VENUE +++

11 February 2016, 5.30-7.00pm
In November 2014, Jean-Claude Juncker took office as President of the European Commission, following Europe's first presidential campaign. The biggest change in twenty years in the way the EU decides its leadership, this new way of electing the Commission President was meant to bring the process closer to the European citizens. Yet, it has also been called a "putsch",  organised by a small group of European politicians in a Europe in crisis. In the end, Europe's most powerful leading governments were forced to make a humiliating climb-down and accept the election of a leader they did not support, chosen by a process they opposed.

How did this new so-called 'Spitzenkandidaten' process come about, how did it work in practice, what were its problems, and what should be changed for the next round in 2019? What are its implications with a view to the UK's debate on EU membership, and particularly to how democratic EU politics is? Join us for an inside account and critical analysis by: 

• Nereo Peñalver García: Policy Adviser in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Visiting Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, and co-author of the The Making of a European President
• Charles Grant: Director, Centre for European Reform
• Richard Corbett: Member of the European Parliament, Labour and Socialists & Democrats Group
• Chair: Dr Christine Reh, Senior Lecturer in European Politics, UCL

Please note that Julian Priestley, Former Secretary General of the European Parliament, unfortunately has had to cancel due to unforeseen circumstances. We are delighted that Richard Corbett is joining us at very short notice. 

Co-hosted by UCL's European Institute and the Political Science Department's Policy and Practice Seminar.