The Juncker Commission: Internal Perceptions of a Spitzenkandidaten Presidency

This chapter examines how Jean-Claude Juncker interpreted the mandate delivered by the Spitzenkandidaten procedure to lead a ‘political Commission’ and to introduce ‘new ways of working’, with a tier of vice presidents coordinating the implementation of the Commission President’s programme. It looks at how Commission staff viewed the Spitzenkandidaten process as well as these two features that characterised the Juncker model, across the organisation. The chapter also argues that the Juncker model of presidential leadership has proved to be enduring. Although Juncker is so far the only Commission President to have been appointed via the Spitzenkandidaten procedure, his Presidency extended the process of presidentialisation initiated by his predecessor, José Manuel Barroso, and has created a new model of presidentialism, that persisted under his successor, Ursula von der Leyen, even though she was not a Spitzenkandidat.