評論
打印
Leaders
社論
The European Commission
歐盟委員會
Lagarde for president
拉加德或將成為歐盟委員會掌門人
If ever Europe needed a competent reformer with new ideas, it is now
如果歐盟需要一個有想法的領導者，就趁現在吧
CHANCES for a new beginning in Europe are rare and should be seized.
對于歐洲來說，重新開始的機會不多，一旦出現，就該緊緊抓住。
In the coming months, after five can-kicking years of crisis and austerity, the European Union will clean out its executive suite and appoint new presidents of the European Commission, as well as a new foreign-policy chief.
在危機中過了5年艱苦的日子后，再過幾個月，歐盟將迎來一次大換血，屆時目前的行政人員將陸續離職，歐盟委員會和歐洲理事會將有新的首腦走馬上任，同時歐盟外交政策負責人也會出現新的面孔。
The EU desperately needs a fresh vision.
如今，歐盟急需注入新的血液。
Its citizens are disenchanted with the remote machinations inside Brussels.
歐盟成員國公民已對布魯塞爾的種種政策不抱任何幻想，
Insurgent political parties, many of them anti-EU, are snapping at the heels of the centrists.
許多反歐盟政黨紛紛開始爭取中間派的支持。
If the EU were a company, its board would have been sacked: if it were a football team, it would have been relegated. It needs new leadership.
如果歐盟是個公司，它的董事會早就被炒魷魚了；如果歐盟是個足球隊，它也早就該被降級了。如今，歐盟需要的是全新的領導班子。
Unfortunately, Europe's leaders have not got the message.
遺憾的是，歐洲各國的首腦們還沒意識到這些。
The names being canvassed for commission president include two former prime ministers of smallish countries, Jean-Claude Juncker and Guy Verhofstadt, an assortment of obscure European commissioners and the president of the dysfunctional European Parliament, Martin Schulz of Germany.
目前，歐洲委員會主席的候選人包括來自歐洲小國盧森堡的盧前首相讓克洛德·容克和比利時前首相付思達。此外，歐盟委員會專員，歐洲議會議長，德國人馬丁·舒爾茨或也會參選。
It is an uninspiring list of Eurocrats, still mouthing nostrums about ever-closer union.
這份競選名單對歐洲官僚來說并無甚新意，仍舊在嘮叨著那些歐洲一體化的老話。
One person—who is not a declared candidate—would be far better: Christine Lagarde, head of the IMF.
而有這么一個人，雖然沒有宣布參選，卻不失為一個更好的人選：國際貨幣基金組織總裁拉加德。
She is a French former finance minister, yet her years in Washington dealing with the euro crisis, as well as running a huge law firm in Chicago, give her the clarity of an outsider's view about what is wrong with the EU.
這位女士曾出任法國財長，她在華盛頓任職期間也曾參與應對歐元危機，此外，她還是芝加哥一個大型律所的老板，這些都使她能從一個旁觀者的角度看待歐盟現在面臨的問題。
A liberal, she would be keen to complete the single market, promote free trade and cut the burden of regulation.
作為一個自由主義者，她或許會熱衷于建成單一市場，促進自由貿易，減少管制負擔。
She is also a persuasive saleswoman in both French and English, a bonus given her own country's sour view of the EU and Britain's possible referendum on whether to leave.
此外，鑒于法國目前對歐盟酸話頗多，而英國或許也會發起全民公投脫離歐盟，此刻的她也不失為一位法語英語皆能的推銷員。
One supposed mark against Ms Lagarde is that, unlike the present commission president, Jose Manuel Barroso, and his two predecessors, she has never been elected.
對拉加德來說，她的不足之處也許在于，與現任主席巴羅佐和在他之前的兩任歐盟委員會主席不同，拉加德還未參加過任何選舉。
But the most effective recent commission president was not a former prime minister, but Jacques Delors, another French former finance minister, who—although for a while a member of the European Parliament—was also a technocrat.
但近年來歐盟委員會最出色的主席并不是某國的前總統，而是德洛爾，他也曾是法國財長，擔任過一陣子歐洲專員，此外還是一個專家政治論者。
And the job now needs the skills of a technocrat as much as of a politician.
而如今，歐洲委員會主席一職正需要一個同樣是專家政治論者的政客來擔任。
The bigger obstacle to Ms Lagarde becoming commission president lies in the Lisbon treaty.
而拉加德競選道路上最大的阻礙則來自里斯本條約。
This says that the European Council, mindful of European elections, must nominate a candidate whom the European Parliament then “elects” as president.
條約規定，負責歐盟選舉的歐洲理事會，必須提名歐洲議會會“選舉”為主席的人為候選人。
Political groups in the parliament are exploiting this to put forward their preferred choices now—Mr Schulz for the centre-left Socialists, Mr Verhofstadt for the centrist Liberals and, next month, a front-runner for the centre-right European People's Party who seems likely to be Mr Juncker.
現在，歐洲議會中各政治團體正利用這一規定來兜售他們中意的候選人—中間偏左的社會黨人推選舒爾茨，而中間派自由主義者傾向于付思達，下個月，中間偏右的歐洲人民黨也將推出自己的實力選手，極有可能就是讓-克洛德·容克。
The claim is that this process will seem more democratic to ordinary Europeans.
對于此次的競選，目前的說法是對于普通歐洲人來說將會更加民主。
Dream on.
但這都是政客們的白日夢。
Most European voters neither know nor care who any of these people are or what they stand for.
大多數歐洲選民既不關心這些人是誰，也不關心他們都代表著誰的利益。
The suggestion that EU leaders should accept the candidate of whichever political group gets most seats in May is a recipe not just for ending up with the wrong person, but also for making the commission even more beholden to the parliament.
有人建議歐盟領導人，無論五月那個黨派在歐洲議會獲得多數席位，選擇該政黨的候選人總不會錯。這樣做不僅能選對人，還能密切歐盟委員會和議會的關系。
Don't let the parliament decide
千萬別讓議會做主
There is a way through this muddle.
走出泥塘的路只有一條。
As it happens, Ms Lagarde comes from the centre-right EPP, which is likely to remain the biggest group in the parliament.
拉加德所代表的中間偏右的歐洲人民黨很可能保持其議會第一大黨的地位，
The open support of Europe's three main leaders would probably get her the job.
而歐洲三位主要國家領導人的公開支持很可能使她得到這個職位。
France's president, Franois Hollande, is a Socialist, but he would surely welcome a French president.
法國總統奧朗德雖是社會黨人，但他肯定樂于見到一位來自法國的歐洲委員會主席。
David Cameron knows he is far more likely to win a referendum with a reformer like Ms Lagarde as the face of Europe.
卡梅隆也應該曉得，有這樣一位改革派領導人在，他將更可能贏得公投。
Angela Merkel also wants a more open Europe, and her policy of appointing dull unknowns to EU posts has hardly been a resounding success.
默克爾也希望歐洲更加開放，而她將沉悶的無名小卒送往歐盟的政策也少有成功。
The argument for Ms Lagarde is similar to that two years ago for making Mario Draghi president of the European Central Bank: he brought outside experience, market knowledge and good ideas.
目前，拉加德出任歐盟委員會主席的優勢與兩年前德拉吉出任歐洲央行總裁的優勢十分相似：他帶來了國外經驗、市場知識和先進想法。
To many then he seemed tainted by his link to an American investment bank, Goldman Sachs, but he is now the most respected Eurocrat of all.
當時許多人認為他在美國高盛工作的經歷會是他競選路上的減分項，但如今他卻是歐盟中最受尊敬的官員。
So ignore the parliament, Mrs Merkel, and pick the best woman for the job.
默克爾女士，別管什么議會，為這一職務選擇正確的人選吧。
