EU-Digest/ EUobserver : EU Pres. election process resembles the Vatican's and Soviet Union -- EU's secretive nomination process - by Andrew Willis

Lisbon treaty - let the people vote for a President

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Eastern Europe is chipping away at the secretive nomination process for new EU posts created under the Lisbon Treaty, with Estonian President Toomas Hendrik Ilves formally throwing his name into the ring on Thursday (12 November). The president, whose name was put forward by Estonian Prime Minister Andrus Ansip, joins a select few daring to be named as official candidates, as fears of failure and obligations to current jobs keep the process shrouded in secrecy.

Former Lavian president Vaira Vike-Freiberga, also a declared candidate for the European Council presidency job, said on Thursday that the process was being conducted with Soviet-style secrecy and contempt for the public. The Baltic state's former leader attacked the EU for operating in "darkness and behind closed doors" and said it should "stop working like the former Soviet Union."

Note EU-Digest: Mrs. Vaira Vike-Freiberga is absolutely right. The EU Presidential election process resembles that of the former Soviet Union and the Vatican. If we want more democratic involvement and participation by the citizens of the EU this should be an open transparent process.