Sir, – It was interesting to read British prime minister David Cameron's article ("Commission process is damaging to democracy", Opinion & Analysis, June 13th). He writes: "Those who voted did so to choose their MEP, not the commission president. Mr Juncker did not stand anywhere and was not elected by anyone."
Is this not a case of kettle calling the pan black? Two-thirds of the British electorate voted against David Cameron as prime minister, and although a vote for his party shows implicit support for him as leader, the electorate plays no part in choosing him. The choice of prime minister is not even put to parliament to decide. – Yours, etc,
TERENCE
HOLLINGWORTH,
Impasse Chopin,
Blagnac,
France.
Sir, – David Cameron makes some obviously correct points regarding the so-called spitzenkandidaten procedure. From an Irish point of view, there is little point pretending that someone in Bandon voting for Sean Kelly MEP or that someone in Buncrana voting for Mairead McGuinness MEP was likely to be primarily voting in order to support the prospect of Jean-Claude Juncker becoming president of the European Commission. I would see a great sense of effective detachment among European citizens as a whole with respect to this new procedure. It is not as if a direct, democratic election by all voters to choose the commission president (which is a procedure that has previously been recommended by various European politicians) has been held.
Mr Cameron makes a particularly pertinent point that it is not in European interests to restrict the “talent pool” of potential candidates for this crucial role.
The precedent proposed, once adopted on this occasion, would inevitably have the effect of perpetually limiting the potential field of contenders for the position in future years.
It is also important for the future of the EU that Britain remains a member state and although the veto John Major invoked to block the appointment of Jean-Luc Dehaene in 1994 would no longer exist, the circumstances effectively dictate that the objections raised by the British government should be respected appropriately. – Yours, etc,
JOHN KENNEDY,
Knocknashee,
Goatstown,
Dublin 14.