Although I am known to produce more column inches and debates around ECOWAS and the *African Union*, few will know that I am someone who grew up in Brussels and watched European integration politics play out. I recommend one keep an eye out for #MaastrichtDebate.
There are four candidates vying for the powerful *Presidency of the European Commission*. My number is for former Belgian premier *Guy Verhofstadt*, who has been keenly involved in Brexit negotiations; been an overt supporter of multilateralism using Europe's7 experience.
In 2001, at an International Conference on Globalisation, he actually called for *regional representation* at the UN Security Council, including a seat for the AU. He was one of the *first European politicians* to do so.
Interestingly, out of the four candidates to challenge the Commission presidency, only one is a Conservative, with the other three representing Liberal Democrats; Greens; Socialists.
These largely Left-leaning candidates arguably reflect the apparent strength of the Left in Europe -- something which seemed to be dying with the ultra-Conservatism that was spawned with Brexit and similar movements.
As per the newly-adopted #AUReforms, the AU has itself changed the way it elects a new Chairperson for the four-year term.
AU watchers may be keen to find out how this *April 29* debate can help inform the proposed town hall format proposed under #AUReforms in 2018.
Even as the AU needs to get more serious on the nomenclature of its departments for an effective prosecution of its continental agenda, a more Left-ish European Commission president could arguably be useful and more flexible in its approach of AU-EU relations on matters such as the vexatious *migration*.
The jury is certainly out till after 29th April.
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