[ad_1]
Alexander Stubb, 50 – who wrote Alx Stbb in an ad to show how hard life is without the letters E and U – has an impressive resume. He has worked as party leader for the conservative party of the Finnish Assembly, the EU parliamentarians, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Finance, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Foreign Trade.
Former elite golfer who is fluent in five languages (Finnish and Swedish native speakers, English, German and French).
Even when he is stuck, he does it thoroughly and with determination. In his autobiography "Alex" of 2017, he recounts his experience as a great smoker in youth. Then there were two packs of cigarettes a day. As well as snuff.
Since a little over a year He is Vice President of the European Investment Bank, one of the largest lenders in the world.
Alexander Stubb goes to the carpets in the Finnish boat corridors of the European Parliament when DN visits him in Brussels. He is currently on leave without pay for five weeks from his position as CFO to run as the new head of the European Commission. The ultimate work of the Union.
The person who will succeed Jean-Claude Juncker, the Jewish Luxembourger, has a lot to do. In March, the EU loses 66 million inhabitants when Britain leaves it. EU skeptical right-wing nationalists are mobilizing ahead of the European Parliament elections in May. A trade war with the United States can be seen on the horizon. Liberal democracy is under threat, says Stubb.
"I want to climb on barricades and defend European values, we thought liberal democracy, the social market economy and globalization had won.We had managed to kill fascism in 1945 and communism in 1989. But then, The year 2016 was marked by Donald Trump and Brexit, and then I realized that – oops, there is something wrong with the world, says Stubb.
The path of the president The European Commission is big and twisted.
But Stubb 's message is clear: he is not ashamed to be a liberal, upbeat and EU – star enthusiast, while populists, nationalists and critics alike. EU change position.
The Finns want to start by looking back – against the authoritarian tendencies among the members of the EPP conservative party group in the European Parliament.
– József! Ugh! How are you going to exclude Stubb and raise your hand as a sign of welcome, like a boy's inbox.
József Szájer, Group leader of Hungarian Fidesz in the European Parliament, wholeheartedly welcomes. Nothing in the courtly corridor reveals that Stubb has recently called on Fidesz to leave the EPP party if the increasingly authoritarian government party of President Viktor Orban does not change direction.
"We can no longer sweep the Fidesz issue under the carpet, if a member of our political-partial family questions academic freedom and freedom of expression and establishes laws that restrict the rule of law – you can not to permit.
"I do not tolerate intolerance," says Alexander Stubb.
How to put pressure on EU countries that are moving away from liberal values without creating cracks that could lead to the breakup of the EU as a whole?
"That's the big question." You have to be honest with your values and with the existing treaties, but no one will feel that he has his back against the wall.
It is now important to convince as many conservative and democratic Christian politicians as possible before 8 November. Then, at a conference in Helsinki, the EPP party group will nominate its candidate for the post of President of the Commission.
He stands between the extrovert Finn and longtime parliamentarian Manfred Weber. A colorless Bavarian, unknown outside the Brussels bubble and who, moreover, never sat on a government – yet a formidable opponent.
A German who has support self The Bundeskanzlerin, Angela Merkel, still counts in the context of the EU.
Alexander Stubb recently formulated his glossy political manifesto.
– I knew I had big teeth. But not that I had such a big nose, he says, looking at the cover image embellished by the Finn's broad profile.
In the booklet, he indicates his political orientation. Conservative focus on strict security and migration policy.
He concludes at the same time that the EU, with its aging population, will not survive if walls are built.
He also emphasizes the importance of the distribution policy, if the union is to remain in solidarity.
"In Europe, we have been able to prepare the cake, promote the economy and create jobs, but we have not been so good at sharing the cake," says Stubb, "and suddenly suspects a Social Democrat.
What are the biggest challenges ahead?
– Climate change and technological revolution.
"Digitization means we do not know what job market we will have in 2050. The logic of the job will change.
"We do not know if you, a journalist, write the analytical story or if an algorithm does, we do not know whether, as a legislator, I sit and think about the laws of the European Parliament, or whether it is about 'an algorithm that finds the best political compromise,' said Mr Stubb.
"If there was a price for the worst communication strategy in world politics, then the EU would be good," he wrote in his manifesto.
There will be change if Stubb can decide. In the era of the war of information, the EU must take communication seriously, he believes.
He undoubtedly lives as he teaches, with active accounts raging on social media, where political analysis is varied with images of daily training.
Stubb is engaged in triathlon. He has competed many times in the terrible competition called Ironman: almost 4 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and a marathon – sweeping. As a distinguished high priest, Stubb has finished writing on the subject in the Performance magazine of the Financial Times. Headlines: "The Ironman of European Politics". The European Steelman policy.
The German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung writes about the unconscious communication of Stubb. If a man "can hardly hide his good self-esteem", a cosmopolitan technical battle that the opposition camp now aims to be "a neoliberal trail", a neoliberal struggle.
Government experience is the asset of Stubb in the battle against Manfred Weber. The Finn is coming back to the fact that the policy of world politics is essentially about developing personal contacts.
"Donald Trump would like to say hello, to better understand what this guy is doing," says Stubb.
You are good at golf, you have been part of the Finnish golf team since your youth. Would you dare to defeat Trump or would you let him win?
"I think he would let himself be won, he has enough kicks in his way, I think he's taking a lot of MulliganSays Stubb, aiming for an informal golf rule allowing a second chance after a stroke.
"It's terribly difficult to work with Donald Trump, you never know what he's going to do.
"I would work a lot with the US administration, we will not believe that our important transatlantic relationship is destroyed simply because of an individual president.The presidents come and go, but the transatlantic group hopes that I am stable, said Stubb.
Stubb also has experience of another profession on fire in European politics: treat right-handed people. In 2015, his Sami party formed a coalition with the falconers. The decision weighed on the Finnish populist party. Opinions were divided by two and the party made me lose my head when disgruntled radical forces broke out. Stubb called it "hugging the populists".
"It's easy to be populist, but it's hard to be populist and retain power.
Your Swedish partner, Ulf Kristersson, is now thinking about relations with the Swedish right-wing nationalists, the Swedish Democrats. What can he learn from the Finnish example?
"The first lesson is that every popular movement is unique – you can not really draw parallels.
"I have a lot of respect for what Ulf is doing right now.I have never seen a calm and stable leader in a very difficult situation.I do not know if I could be so calm, said the energetic Finn.
Facts.How is the President of the European Commission appointed?
2014 introduced the EU the so-called Spitzencandidate process aimed at strengthening democracy in the Union. It simply means that party groups in the European Parliament nominate their best candidates to become President of the European Commission. The task then falls to the candidate whose group gets the most votes in the European Parliament elections in May.
But the candidate are also approved by the Heads of Government of the European Council. Several European leaders, such as French President Macron, questioned the Spitzen candidate system.
What does the President of the European Commission do?
Lead the work in what is simply called the EU government.
Has the power legislative proposals of the Commission.
monitors Member States respect the EU Treaty.
are The EU in international negotiations at the governmental level
Facts.Alexander Stubb
born: April 1, 1968 in Helsinki
family: Married to British lawyer Suzanne Innes-Stubb. Two teenagers
Have been European Parliament, Diplomat of the Finnish Mission in Brussels and Leader of the Party of the Finnish Assembly. Has held several ministerial positions, including Prime Minister, Minister of Finance and Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Speaking five languages: Finnish, Swedish, English, German and French.
Source link
