100 days of the Juncker Commission

100 days after its entry into function, let us not forget that the Juncker Commission is, first and foremost, the Commission of 500 million European citizens, elected by them. Never in the EU’s history has a Commission President benefited from such democratic legitimacy and parliamentary support.

In consequence, never has the cooperation between the European Commission and the European Parliament, the direct representative of EU citizens, been so close. With the 2014 European elections and the “Spitzenkandidaten” process came a new page in EU history, where European citizens are at the centre of all our decisions.

A more political and efficient European Commission to meet the challenges ahead

But never, also, have the challenges lying ahead been so enormous. On stability, on growth and jobs, on the fight against terrorism, on security issues and migration, but also on foreign affairs. The need for a Europe that is strong and that makes its voice heard in the world is huge. We need to come up with answers and demonstrate Europe’s added value.

Since their entry into function, Jean-Claude Juncker and his team have been actively working towards that goal. They are politicians, not bureaucrats. They are the right people for the task.

The need for a Europe that is strong and that makes its voice heard in the world is huge. We need to come up with answers and demonstrate Europe’s added value

Jean-Claude Juncker has introduced major changes in the structure and the organisation of the European Commission with this one goal in mind: making the European Commission’s work more political and more efficient, to meet the challenges ahead and to deliver.

Investment and reform programmes to boost jobs and growth

The EPP Group has pushed for the Commission to focus on concrete solutions to our citizens’ problems. This is what the new European Commission has already been doing with great energy in the last 100 days and which it will continue to do in the next five years.

The investment plan presented by Jean-Claude Juncker bridges the gap in the debate on flexibility versus budgetary discipline

One of the Commission’s main tasks in the upcoming months will be to accompany the policies implemented by the Member States in terms of reform programmes and investment, bearing in mind that investment and structural reform are two sides of the same coin. With its new method, the investment plan presented by Jean-Claude Juncker bridges the gap in the debate on flexibility versus budgetary discipline, so that we can finally put this sterile debate behind us.

The Commission’s work programme is ambitious, with a clear view of where we need to lead Europe. It also takes into account the promise we made to our voters: that Europe should be big on big issues, but small on small issues, big where it adds value, small where its contribution is not necessary.

Europe should be big on big issues, but small on small issues, big where it adds value, small where its contribution is not necessary

This is why the EPP Group supports the priority given to the investment plan, to a digital agenda for Europe, to the energy union, but also to the fight against terrorism and to security and defence policy, all of them essential to boosting jobs and growth and to adapting our continent to the challenges of the new century.

The Juncker Commission has a lot on its plate. The tasks are not easy, despite what populists all over Europe are trying to make their citizens believe. But we are confident that Jean-Claude Juncker’s team is up to the task and that they will do a great job, to the benefit of all European citizens.