Greater economic protectionism may follow European election

THE upcoming European Parliament election will see around 450 million people eligible to vote in one of the biggest democratic moments in the world this year. Yet, June’s ballot is largely flying below the global radar screen, despite the huge implications, in the EU-27 bloc and beyond.

It is no exaggeration to say that the ballot will determine the future direction of the Brussels-based club. This is not least given that it will help shape who becomes the next European Commission president, expected to be incumbent Ursula von der Leyen, despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s reported desire for former European central bank chief and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi to take the role.

The reason why the European Parliament ballot could be so impactful for the choice of the next Commission president is the potential application of the so-called Spitzenkandidat (or “top candidate”) system. This first took root only a decade ago in the run-up to the 2014 European Parliament elections.