Edmund Stoiber’s demands for more power have brought him into conflict with the European Commission.

Almost two months ago, European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso appointed Stoiber as the chairman of the High Level Group of Independent Stakeholders on Administrative Burdens. The purpose of this group is to advise the European Commission on how to reduce bureaucracy in the European Union and on how to cut EC administrative costs by 25 percent over the next four years. As chairman of this group, Stoiber is to head up a committee of 15 experts in the fields of science, business, academics, economics and politics.

The first meeting of this flagship project for the European Commission is scheduled for November 20. Things have been complicated, however, by Stoiber’s demands for more power in his new role.

One of Stoiber’s primary complaints is that he has to report to Guenter Verheugen, EC vice president and industrial commissioner. Verheugen is the man currently responsible for cutting EC bureaucratic red tape. In an effort to avoid working with Verheugen, a rival of Stoiber’s from the German Social Democratic Party, Stoiber has tried to circumvent him altogether by asking to report directly to Barroso himself.

In addition to this demand, Stoiber has asked Barroso for a personal assistant, a team of 10 Commission officials, an increased number of state experts to serve on the panel, and the jurisdiction to evaluate newly proposed legislation in addition to the older EU laws.

So far, none of Stoiber’s demands have been met. Barroso’s spokesman has stated, in reference to whom Stoiber will report to, that “It is not foreseen that the internal organization of the Commission is changed.”

This power struggle currently has Stoiber’s anti-bureaucratic committee at a standstill.

Stoiber, however, is not one to back down easily. As Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has commented, “Stoiber has a vision for Germany, and he plans on taking the EU with him. But where would this vision take Europe? He wants a strong ‘federation’ within the EU. A powerful political government is one of his great passions.”

With his vision for the European Union, Stoiber has definite ideas on how the process of reducing the bureaucratic red tape in the EC should be done. In a September statement, he said, “My belief has always been that Europe has to become people-oriented and less bureaucratic. I’m happy that I can now put that into practice, as citizens and businesses all over Europe will gain a real advantage from the cutting of red tape.”

Stoiber’s recent set of demands show he is serious about implementing his European vision. We would expect these efforts to intensify.

The Trumpet is watching for a charismatic, organizational genius to emerge as a strongman to lead a united Europe. Is Edmund Stoiber that man?