Juncker's future at stake

“Fake news” and “alternative facts”. Brussels this week seems to have adopted the rhetoric of Donald Trump to deny rumours of an imminent resignation of the president of the EC, Jean-Claude Juncker. The response to the rumours is that the EC and Juncker have work to do and no time to gossip. However, perhaps spokesperson Margaritis Schinas is a little late in salvaging the reputation of an institution that is going through a dramatic period which leaves it open to speculation.

Newspaper La Repubblica has said that March will be “crucial” in deciding the president's future and it is not enough to simply rely on celebrations of the EU's 60th anniversary to revive the club and avoid the wreck and if that is to be done, perhaps Juncker's head will be on the block.

There has been talk of a resignation but that could be a distraction from a lack of a credible policy to deal with the post-Brexit Union. Work needs to be done but few member states are prepared to deal with the question and it is doubtful that Juncker is the person to convince them of the need. His CV seems more to be filled with the failure of the UE in Greece and Brexit itself.

There could, however, be changes with the outcome of elections this year in France and Germany. Both could force members states to see that is it make or break time for the EU. Added to those, there are serious concerns that Geert Wilders' far right party in Holland will win the general elections in that country.

What helps neither the EU nor Juncker is that all three tiers of the EC system are controlled by the European People's Party which seems to be slowest in waking up to reality.