We reveal the rapidly sinking popularity of the EU Commission over the past 10 years

Ursula von der Leyen’s new EU Commission barely gets above the 50% ‘yes’ vote needed from MEPs

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2024

Lowest approval vote in 25 years shows major EU fractures – Can the new Commission have any legitimacy?

One has to go back to 1999, 25 years ago, to find the last time an EU Commission got a lower vote from the EU Parliament to approve the nominated 26 Commissioners plus the Commission President. Von der Leyen's new Commission barely scraped over the line with just 51.4% of the total number of MEPs voting for it.

This new group of Commissioners was chosen by Ursula von der Leyen – one from each EU country - and not one has been subject to any popular vote from the public. Despite this, and despite them only barely winning the approval of more than 50% of MEPs, they will wield enormous power over the lives of all EU citizens.

A Brexit Facts4EU.Org 2-Part Series
The EU’s falling popularity

Part I (this report) : New EU Commission barely scrapes over the line to get approved
Part II - Only 39% of UK citizens ‘have a positive image of the EU’

The EU Commission received fewer votes than von der Leyen’s own nomination approval in July - which was bad enough.

Members of the EU Parliament had to approve - in one bloc - the whole package of 26 Commissioners put forward by the EU Commission President, who in this case is Ursula von der Leyen.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

The sinking popularity of the EU Commissions over the last 25 years

1999 Romano Prodi : 67.9%
2004 José Manuel Barroso : 64.9%
2010 José Manuel Barroso : 66.7%
2014 Jean-Claude Juncker : 67.6%
2019 Ursula von der Leyen : 61.4%
2024 Ursula von der Leyen : 51.4%

[Source : EU Parliament, Wed 27 Nov 2024. Percentages are for MEPs voting 'yes' as a proportion of all MEPs.]

The most powerful 27 unelected individuals in Europe?

Not one of the new batch of EU Commissioners, (known bizarrely as ‘the College’), have been elected to their powerful roles by any popular mandate in any EU country. They are political appointees from each member country’s governments. Once selected, their roles are decided by the EU Commission President: Ursula von der Leyen.

The new Commission starts work in earnest today (02 Dec 2024). It has the sole right to propose new legislation – something which in any normal western country would be the preserve of the government in an elected parliament.

Instead the Commission does this, followed by approvals from the EU Council and then what is effectively rubber-stamping by the MEPs in the EU Parliament. These laws, rules, and directives then apply to all EU citizens.

The comments to us from a British MEP who experienced the EU Parliament at first-hand

To gain some insight into the EU Parliament from someone with inside knowledge, we turned to a man who worked there as a British MEP before the UK's final and dramatic exit following the Brexit vote in 2016.

Richard Tice MP, former British MEP and Deputy Leader of Reform UK

“Support for EU leaders is collapsing to its lowest levels ever as EU citizens get poorer with no growth and no confidence in elite politicians.”
- Richard Tice MP, commenting to Facts4EU.Org and CIBUK.Org, Mon 02 Dec 2024

Coming up in Part II - Only 39% of UK citizens ‘have a positive image of the EU’

In Part II we analyse the latest official EU survey of the views of its own citizens. The news is no better for the EU Commission. Plus, we will also reveal the results of the EU's survey of the British people's attitudes towards the EU. Don’t miss it!

Observations

All across Europe we are seeing tectonic shifts in the political landscape, with a general veering to the right.

In the UK the Reform Party is surging ahead in popularity, while the new Government appears to be moving in the opposite direction. The new EU Commission certainly has more of a ‘populist’ feel, but it has still failed to satisfy what appears to be the public mood.

In our follow-up report we will reveal what the British public thinks about the EU, according to its own major survey. This contradicts what Rejoiners are saying about the appetite of the people of the UK to ‘re-align’ themselves more fully with the EU, as Sir Keir wishes.

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[ Sources: EU Parliament | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Mon 02 Dec 2024

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Reader Comments 10

1. Sparky , Monday, December 02, 2024, 07:03:

The disappointment of Brexitears, the EU was supposed to collapse when the UK left and other countries were supposed follow close behind.
.
Meanwhile Brexit has made touring Europe for the UK music industry unviable. This is the UK music industry that has produced 6 of the top 10 biggest selling artists in the world.

2. Ashley Great Britain , Monday, December 02, 2024, 07:15:

1 sparky.
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No one expected the EU to collapse after Brexit, that's just silly. It probably will collapse at some stage though.
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Where do you get your music industry info from. My friends a drummer and he travels in Europe for gigs without any issues. Sometimes he has to pay a small amount for a 6 month visa, that's the worst of it. A very small price to pay compared to EU membership.
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The people of Europe are finally seeing how mental it all is, they are starting to see how EU membership is more of a hindrance to their lives.

3. LuxuryBalloon , Monday, December 02, 2024, 08:44:

I have been saying for many, many years that the collapse of the EU empire is imminent.

4. Have You Wondered , Monday, December 02, 2024, 08:51:

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3. LuxuryBalloon - Too big to fail syndrome? So they keep motoring onwards - a bit like the banks?
.

5. Gazzablack , Monday, December 02, 2024, 08:56:

1, sparkless
.
The EU is LESS than the sum of it's parts, cobbled together like Frankenstein's monster.
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Once the villagers start storming the castle, the monster will be toast.

6. Harry Potter , Monday, December 02, 2024, 19:40:

1. Sparky Bless Good Morning from Germany where another key industry – mechanical and plant engineering – is sinking deeper into crisis. Incoming orders dropped 9% in October YoY, driven by a steep 14% decline in foreign demand.
Good morning from Germany where the once-thriving southern regions are experiencing an unprecedented decline due to deindustrialization. Baden-Württemberg remains stuck in a permanent recession, w/its economy shrinking by 0.4% in Q3—significantly greater slump than in Germany as a whole. Meanwhile, other regions are faring much better: Brandenburg's economy grew by 1.1% QoQ, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania saw a 1% jump, as the industry plays a smaller role in these areas
OUCH! French stocks are set for their worst under-performance against European peers since 2010 as a budget standoff threatens to
topple the govt. (BBG)
Good Morning from #Germany where consumer confidence slumps, reflecting increased concerns over job losses and fears of an impending recession. The GfK consumer climate index tumbled 4.9 points to minus 23.3 in its forecast for Dec weaker than consensus expectations of minus 19. The country’s governing coalition collapsed in Nov due to a dispute over public borrowing, and President-elect Donald Trump’s win presents new headaches for businesses via his promised tariffs on foreign imports.
Good Morning from #Germany, where large corporations are cutting more and more jobs. Today Thyssen Krupp Steel announced to cut about 11,000 jobs until 2030. The board aims to reduce personnel costs by about 10% on average.
Let's face it you talk a good game. but actualy you know very little

7. LuxuryBalloon , Monday, December 02, 2024, 22:10:

6 Harry … good evening from the UK where we now have a similar Labour government in place as you have had in Germany …

8. John Jones , Tuesday, December 03, 2024, 07:12:

3. LuxuryBalloon
I doubt that the EU will collapse in a conventional way - I suspect it will be more of a slow puncture evidenced in part by the shenanigans going on in Germany and France. The dynamic duo aren't doing too well at the moment.
A telling sign of how the EU is after Brexit was given by Angela Merkel in her recently published memoirs - it now seems that Brexit to the Germans was far more of a body blow to the EU than even rabid
Brexiteers imagined - Brexit humiliated Merkel - it repudiated everything she & Macron stood for - worse it destabilised the EU by allowing the pesky southern states to not only get their way but also to make the northern European states pay more of the overall budget.
Given Ukraine, migration, tariffs and Trump - the EU is likely to take a battering over the next 4-5 years - the future isn't in my view that bright as the tyre accelerates its deflation.

9. Ashley Great Britain , Tuesday, December 03, 2024, 09:02:

8 John Jones.
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And thats after the super mental May government were bending over backwards to appease the EU during exit talks. We're still paying millions into the EU wallet for no beneficial return.
If the UK government extracted us from the EU properly, Germany would have felt it even more. The Brexit negotiations looked like it was an exercise to protect the EU first and foremost. The atrocious Conservatives and Mrs May were walked all over, leaving us with a half as*ed uk independence. The Conservatives and Labour clearly don't deserve any more votes.

10. John Jones , Tuesday, December 03, 2024, 09:41:

9. Ashley
I see & understand what you write.
But, you're making a big assumption, in my view, that Reform could do any better? I suspect that Reform is still a one club golfer, headed by a narcissistic leader Farage - the man is clearly a part time politician - having got rid of Habib, he got rid of one of Reform's best strategists & clearly articulate spokesman.
Reform's thinking is skin deep with little intellectual coherence - especially on remigration about which they are silent. For fear of being seen to be right wing or racist.
Starmer meanwhile is doing such a bad job as to enable the Tories - who know a thing or two about power in the past 120 years - to return in 2-3 years with new policies fit for a centre right party. The Tories admittedly implemented Brexit badly - but the wet one nation pro-EU Tories have effectively been decapitated & Badenoch /Jenrick have a little time to develop strong pro Brexit credentials ( even if it means throwing NI under a bus - let Ireland and EU pick up the Northern Ireland tabs - it will be excruciatingly expensive).
It will be interesting to see Starmer's reset/relaunch on Thursday - the omens aren't good.
Meanwhile with Germany & France ( effectively ungovernable) the EU via Trump are going to get a dose of real politik - probably in a place where the sun doesn't shine.
All in all the next few years will look pretty awful from an EU perspective ( it already does) - the tyre will hopefully continue to deflate - gently as she does it.

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