EU's Attempt At Democracy

According to a report at UPI.com, the head of the European Parliament says future European Union commissioners should compete in Europe-wide elections to ensure a democratic mandate. Electing commissioners, instead of appointing them, would "create a European identity of citizens, a new sense of belonging," Jerry Buzek said Monday in a speech at Humboldt University in Berlin. He is also quoted as saying "This would not just be of symbolic importance. The commission would have stronger democratic legitimacy and would be strengthened as an institution."

Where to start? Who decides the candidates for Commission posts? How are they to be questioned? Are they to undertake hustings events across the EU - and if so, how many in each country? How many candidates are there to be for each position - or is it a case of one candidate for each position in which case we are into the Soviet style election system, ie this is your candidate and this is who you vote for. WTF does "a European identity of citizens" mean? What is the point in giving a "stronger democratic legitimacy" to an institution in which an elected dictator is no different to an appointed dictator?

On the basis that the 'golden rule' applies - whereby power that is given up is never returned - this latest 'idea' of Buzek is no more than a smokescreen in an attempt to hide the overall defects in a rotten system which are only too obvious.