Von der Leyen’s authoritarian plot – UnHerd

The European Union is about to enter what could prove to be the most ominous phase in its troubled history. In a few weeks, Ursula von der Leyen s new European Commission will officially take office, at which point she will have almost unfettered control over the bloc s politics.

When von der Leyen introduced the new Commission s lineup and organisational structure last month, even the typically Brussels-friendly mainstream media was forced to admit that what she had pulled off was nothing short of a coup. By placing loyalists in strategic roles, marginalising her critics, and establishing a complicated web of dependencies and overlapping duties that prevent any individual from gaining excessive influence, the Commission President has set the stage for an unprecedented supranational power grab that will further centralise authority in Brussels specifically in the hands of von der Leyen herself.

She is busy transforming the Commission from a collegial body into a presidential office , noted Alberto Alemanno, EU law professor at HEC Paris. But this is the culmination of a longstanding process. The Commission has been stealthily expanding its powers for a long time, evolving from technical body into full-blooded political actor, resulting in a major transfer of sovereignty from the national to the supranational level at the expense of democratic control and accountability. But this Commissionisation is now being taken to a whole new level.

via unherd.com

Well this is not good. Why is authoritarianism so popular these days? I guess it’s *not* popular. That’s the whole point. I’m glad the Brits are out of it. Herr Schwab is probably happy though. Did you know his dad was a prominent Nazi? I was surprised-not-surprised when I learned that.