Translated "Avante!"article by Pedro Guerreiro, Member of the Secretariat of the CC and Responsible of the International Department

The European Council had already adopted decisions regarding the appointments to positions in the European Union institutions that represented the “hard core” of capitalist European integration (in terms of political representation, be it national, or more importantly, as representatives of economic and financial interests) . Last week’s European Parliament vote for Ursula von der Leyen as European Commission President, was its corollary.

In spite of the convergence ability exhibited by many countries – mostly from Eastern Europe, but also others – in rejecting “diktats” and conditioning (but not making) these decisions, it was the unequivocal power of the French-German axis that (with Lagarde at the European Central Bank and Ursula at the European Commission), has now felt the need to integrate the so-called liberals into the worn-out coalition of the right- wingers and the so-called socialists or social-democrats (in order to ensure a stable majority in the EP). This has significantly marked the start of a new era that now begins.

Another important aspect to keep in mind (besides the sulking of some “distinguished persons” who were left out) is the low number of votes obtained by Ursula in the European Parliament. It was an expression of the contradictions within the capitalist integration process itself, and they will tend to exacerbate as the crisis deepens.

As usual, the European Union’s heralds used huge amounts of ink to praise Ursula’s qualities, in particular her presence and performance before the EP, when she – diligently following the agreement reached – merely played her role, ignoring as much as possible the goals she intends to serve, and carrying out a mystification exercise with the purpose of facilitating and “justifying” the so-called liberals’ and socialists’ or social-democrats’ votes.

But the only ones who “didn’t get it” were those who wanted to”not get it”. Fake concerns about the environment, social rights, youth and women, or democracy were used. But they “naturally” omitted the policy issues (such as who is responsible and what interests do they serve) that generate the growing inequalities and social injustices, and they reiterated the whole programme, their goal being to further tighten the EU.

But nothing was omitted in this paraphernalia of a neoliberal, federalist and military nature: A neo-liberal vision of creating citizen polluter-payers; pursuing the goal of Bank Union and Capital Market; a Stability Pact and European Semester; the so-called EU “borders”; the qualified majority requirement in “EU’s external policy” decision-making;
the EU’s militarisation within NATO’s framework, to complement this military block; or the supranational character of the EU institutions – those, among other important examples, are in effect an onslaught against national sovereignty.

The European Union’s institutional appointments have highlighted its own contradictions. But they have also exposed the intention of the EU “hard core” (the big powers and capital): to proceed with its offensive against workers’ rights and peoples’ sovereignty.