The Power Resources of the Commission Presidency

Abstract

No leader would be able to exercise political leadership without power resources. This is the case, even if he or she finds the perfect window of opportunity at the time and has abundant talents and skills. Equally true, no leader possesses a power base without constraints. There are other actors who also possess potential resources and who may stand in the way of the leader. Both the institutional resources and constraints set a boundary, not necessarily fixed over time, which delineate the leadership potential. The Commission President is no exception. To analyse his leadership, one needs to understand those resources of and constraints on the office, which the following chapters illustrate.