I suppose it was naive to assume that only the English-speaking press would get its analysis of the new President of the European Council completely wrong – as we’ve been documenting on this blog. Sadly German weekly Die Zeit falls into the same trap in an article from 20.03.2008:
Das Präsidentenamt wird der mächtigste Job sein, den die EU je zu vergeben hatte.
This roughly translates as the president job is the most powerful ever awarded in the EU. No – absolutely not. The article makes one reference to the Commission President, the position which, as head of the EU’s executive, will remain stronger than the European Council President. There’s also not a single mention in Die Zeit of the lack of democratic accountability of the European Council position.
I know journalists always want to make a pleasant story of power and intrigue, but why on this issue are so many basic errors always made?
Well, some predictions seem to be sadly correct, like the one that these matters are negotiated in secret between the ‘capitals’ (meaning a few individuals).
Transparent procedures and democratic accountability seem to be less interesting than speculation centred on individuals.
Are there serious European media (ouside Who do I call?)?