#ECscoreboard - Vestager ranked best commissioner and favourite to be next president in #BCW survey

Margrethe Vestager is the best commissioner on Jean-Claude Juncker’s team and should be the next president of the EU executive, according to a Europe-wide online survey unveiled today by public affairs and communications agency BCW (Burson Cohn & Wolfe) and media partner EURACTIV.  

The ‘European Commission 2014-2019 Scoreboard’ survey invited respondents to give their verdict on the performance of each individual commissioner – ranking them from 0 to 10 – and taking account of their initial objectives. Competition chief Vestager, the only commissioner to achieve a score above 50% (5.02/10), is also a strong favourite to take over the presidency of the new Commission this autumn, despite not being an official party candidate for the job ahead of the European elections.  

The Dane comes just ahead of Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Federica Mogherini, with 49.6% in the #ECscoreboard ranking, followed by First Vice President Frans Timmermans, with 46.9% and Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, with 44.7%. Jean-Claude Juncker, the Commission president, is the fifth highest ranked in the list, with a score of 44.4%.    

At the other end of the scale is Tibor Navrascics, the face of the EU’s Erasmus+ programme and Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport: his performance is graded at 19%, just below International Cooperation and Development Commissioner Neven Mimica, with 20.6%. Respondents were also invited to rank the performance of former Commissioner Michel Barnier, the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator, who earns an approval rating of 57%.    

Nearly 1,800 stakeholders from Brussels and beyond took part in the survey, which was conducted online between 9 October and 3 December 2018.   

Other headline findings from the 20-question survey:  

• Overall performance of the Juncker Commission: 46% 

• Should the next Commission president be a woman? Should be the best person for the job, regardless of gender, 74%; Should be a woman, 23%

• Who should be the next president of the European Commission? Margrethe Vestager (20%), Alexander Stubb (7%), Frans Timmermans (6%), Michel Barnier (5%), Angela Merkel (5%), Manfred Weber (4%)

• What should the next Commission’s top three priorities be? Environment and climate (38%), Make the EU more democratic (28%), Migration (24%)   

2   • How does the Juncker commissioner compare with its predecessor:  Better 41%; Worse 34% 

• How does the Juncker Commission compare with your national government? Better 42%, Worse 31% 

• Should the Commission president continue to be chosen reflecting the outcome of the European Parliament elections and ‘Spitzenkandidaten’ process: Yes 44%, No 40%.

• Did the Commission’s cluster system work? Yes, and it should be continued 23%, No, it should be dropped 32% 

• Is it time for an equal gender balance in the Commission? Yes 54%, No 28% 

• Is it time for more ethnic diversity in the Commission? Yes 49%, No 32%

• Should the number of commissioners be reduced in the next mandate? Yes 58%, No 29%  

Nationals from all 28 member states and further afield participated in the #ECscoreboard survey. The three largest countries by population (UK, France and Germany) accounted for the highest number of responses. Nearly 40% of the feedback for the survey came from respondents living in Belgium, at the heart of the EU and host of its major institutions.  

Karen Massin, CEO BCW Brussels, commented: “We hope that you will find the findings fascinating – we certainly do. The results provide valuable insights from a wide range of actors and influencers, including business, officials, trade associations, media, NGOs, think tanks and academia. We hope that the findings will inform the next Commission’s mandate and set-up, as well as providing food for thought as the new European Parliament prepares for its hearings with Commissionersdesignate.”  

“Europeans dream of a continent that is more climate-friendly and socially just,” added Dan Luca, Senior Director at EURACTIV. “Climate policies at the EU level will be a central element of the next five-year agenda. The survey results confirm citizens' trust in the European institutions, but key issues, such as the Commission’s cluster system, gender balance in the Commission and the number of Commissioners, need to be addressed.”   

Full results of the #ECscoreboard survey findings

#ECscoreboard survey findings highlights

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