How to appoint a President

[Tranquillus in Exile]

After months of backroom horse-trading, a candidate emerges who has the support, or at least the acquiescence, of a majority of state governors, especially the important ones - New York, California, Texas. Then the candidate is presented to Congress and is rubber-stamped as President. The People don't come into it - most of them don't care anyway. Why didn't the Founders think of this system?

That's what is going on now as the EU selects its chief executive, the next President of the European Commission.

 

[Tranquillus in Exile]

The next President will be Ursula von der Leyen after Merkel did a deal with Macron. The people's choice will now be formally installed by the assembly.

Don't worry, this is not the US, it's the ever-democratic EU!

Mr Macron also insisted that the EU under its new management would not blink and reopen the Withdrawal Agreement with the UK. No change there, then.