‘What’s wrong with the Commission?’ Leading Eurocrat put ON THE SPOT in heated Q&A session

The top Eurocrat had just announced plans to stand for election to take over leadership of the European Commission from Jean-Claude Juncker upon his retirement in 2019.

Mr Weber attempted to flee the conference room to escape questions from Euronews political editor Darren McCaffrey but was forced to stop and respond.

Mr McCaffrey said: «You say you want a different Europe. Part of this must be accountability, surely. What is wrong currently that you want to change?

«You said that Europe needs to change. Does that mean that the Commission as it is needs to change? And if so what’s wrong with the current Commission? Why are they not connecting with the people of Europe?» Mr Weber was ultimately forced to provide an answer to the persistent Mr McCaffrey, saying he wanted citizens of the European Union to stop seeing Brussels at a «bureaucratic level.»

The German Eurocrat said: «Today’s European Union is not connected to the people in the European Union. People see Brussels mainly at a bureaucratic level, an elite level.

«I want to change this, I want to make it clear that elected members of the Parliament have the decisive vote on the question on which direction this continent will go. I want to practice simply democracy.»

He added: «Parliamentarism. That is my idea, that is what I stand for and that is what I will fight for.» What’s wrong with the current Commission Darren McCaffrey During the press conference Mr Weber, who chairs the powerful European People’s Party (EEP) in the European Parliament and is a close ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, claimed the “survival” of the EU project was at stake.

Mr Weber said: “Europe is at a turning point. Today, it’s about standing up for Europe and defending our values, because we are being attacked from the outside and from within. It’s about the survival of our European way of life.

There can be no more ‘business as usual’ in the EU. Europe is not institutions of bureaucrats and elites. I will help to bring Europe back to the people.

“A new start for the EU is necessary to achieve a better, more united and more democratic Europe.”

He also promised he would stop accession negotiations with Turkey.