From the first Sweden-EU article that appears on Google news:
STOCKHOLM, July 1 (Xinhua) -- Sweden on Wednesday took over the presidency of the European Union (EU), the world's largest integrated economy with nearly half a billion citizen. "After two year's preparation, Sweden takes over the presidency of the EU," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said at a joint press conference with the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
"After two year's preparation, Sweden takes over the presidency of the EU," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said at a joint press conference with the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.
From the good old Wikipedia:
The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive branch of the European Union.
In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.
The word presidency is often used to describe the administration or the executive, the collective administrative and governmental entity that exists around an office of president of a state or nation.
and once more:
"Sweden takes over the presidency of the EU," Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt said at a joint press conference with the European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso...
... who is not even Swedish, to my knowledge.
Stop. Don't. Please. It's not worth it.
I mean, what the hell good is a presidency if no one knows who is in it or what it does?
Madness. You're all quite lovely and civilized and have a great deal to offer the world. But you're mad. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
On the other hand, "President" is accorded to the leader of non-executive institutions, too. You have a President of the Senate, too (which, in an ideal world, would be the rough equivalent of the European Council). *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Just, stop using the same words for different things! No one calls the President of the Senate the President of the US. Why call Sweden the President of the EU? How can a country be President of anything anyway? That's crazy. I mean, honest to god, why not call Sweden the "President of the Council" (if that's what it is - I don't even know anymore) and Barroso the "President of the Commission"? No one even knows what the EU is anyway, so it might work. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
My point was about the very confusing terminology. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
I first noted the "EU President v. EU Presidency" problem while watching France 24. It was on Deutsche Welle that I saw a programme about how most Europeans don't even understand the EU and are apathetic about it because they don't even know what it does. It was on ET that I brought it up. The example I used was from a Chinese news service.
It's pretty pathetic of you to dismiss what I say on the grounds of my nationality alone. Jesus effing christ - you are better than that Colman. And here I was just about to write a diary on Obama's atrocious foreign policy... Guess I wont - I don't want to be accused of American exceptionalism. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
That's the point: they are only the President of the Council of the EU, which is the (very) rough equivalent of the Senate; and pretending to be the Presidents of the EU reflects the Council's power grab. To give you the analogy, it's as if your Governors had taken over the Senate, and made the President and his cabinet yes-men for it. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
That is what it is, and that is what it's called.
However, everyone from politicians to journalists to bloggers is too damn lazy to make the distinction.
Also, for president you can read chairperson if it helps. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
It's not like we don't endlessly talk about this stuff on the blog. A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
But you're mad.
The EU is how it is. You learn how it is and then it makes sense.
If they had taught it to you in civics classes in high school it would make sense to you like the US does.
Now, nobody gets taught in European schools, but that's a different issue... A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
From the good old Wikipedia:In the study of political science the executive branch of government has sole authority and responsibility for the daily administration of the state bureaucracy.
In particular...
And then, the Commission doesn't have only an executive role: it is also the originator of EU legislation (but laws are approved by the council and the parliament jointly).
So, if one were to do political science properly and not in wikipedia's sophomoric style, one would say that the powers of government are conventionally separated into three functions: executive, legislative and judiciary; and then one would have to ask the question of "how are the three functions of government carried out, and by which combination of institutions and agents?". A man of words and not of deeds is like a garden full of weeds; a man of deeds and not of words is like a garden full of turds — Anonymous
